Mantle
by GuardianSoulBlade
Summary: When the Batman is brutally beaten by Bane, Detective Ellen Yin contacts Robin with Batman's request: Take up his mentor's Mantle. Enraged, the Boy Wonder returns to Gotham. How will Starfire react to Robin donning his mentor's brooding persona? The Batman, Teen Titans Crossover.
1. Chapter One

**Mantle **

_When the Batman is brutally beaten by Bane, Detective Ellen Yin contacts Robin with Batman's request: Take up his mentor's Mantle. Enraged, the Boy Wonder returns to Gotham. How will Starfire react to Robin's donning his mentor's brooding persona? _

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans, The Batman, or Batman Begins the movie or the videogame. I don't own the part of Bruce and Dick's hospital conversation that comes from Robin # 13. (That's Robin III as in Tim Drake not Dick Grayson). Robin in my fic is always Dick Grayson, as a side note._

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**Chapter One **

The video screen flashed on as a woman's face filled its image. Robin immediately turned around, facing it. The rest of the Titans were not around. They had never seen her before.

Robin had, he knew who she was. She usually didn't call on him. She was with the Gotham Police Department. He felt an immediate sense of dread come over him. Something was wrong, very wrong, but he didn't know what it was.

"Robin, it's Detective Yin of the G.CP.D. We need your help."

"My help?"

"Yes, we need your help."

"Why call me at midnight?" The rest of his friends were asleep. Robin wasn't, he was usually a night owl. He was up long after his friends went to bed.

"I have some bad news…it's about your mentor, the Batman."

"What happened?" Robin demanded. If his mentor was in trouble, they would need his help. Batman was Gotham's Dark Knight who was their vigilante safeguard against psychotic villains that roamed the streets continually. He had once been his sidekick, but circumstances caused him to leave his mentor and form the Teen Titans.

They hadn't been on speaking terms in awhile. He only received financial support and a constant supply of his equipment via Alfred Pennyworth; they hadn't seen each other in months. Robin stared at the screen, keeping his cool, though inside he was anxious.

"An assassin named Bane discovered the secret identity of the Batman and he attacked him…in his own home…I'm the one who found him there. He managed to call me right before he passed out."

Robin was nervous. Yin noticed on her end the way Robin stared at the screen, she was startled by it. She saw him clench his hands into fists and his whole body shook with furious rage. Yin was sure he would help her now. She had never seen him so upset. It astonished her greatly.

"Is that room secure? Does anyone know you've contacted me?" Yin nodded. "So he knows the truth…?"

Yin lowered her voice down to a barely audible whisper, "…about Bruce Wayne? Yes, Bruce Wayne was the act, the Batman was the personality."

"Go on Detective. What happened—" Robin fought for words. "What happened to Bruce?"

"I can't exactly say. I wasn't there. However, Alfred was awake when I arrived and Bruce was unconscious. The security cameras at Wayne Manor were either destroyed or damaged. I did retrieve most of the tapes. They were in pretty bad shape too. I managed to put them all onto one tape. I have it here if you want to see it." She held up the tape.

"Please, I need to know what happened."

"I warn you Robin, it's really bad."

"Can't be worse than anything I've seen," Robin said half to himself. "And I've seen a lot of things…"

"Very well, Robin. I'm playing the tape." Detective Yin hit the PLAY button, and the somewhat blurry images came into view.

He saw Bruce Wayne walking down the hallway of his house, Wayne Manor; everything was fine, all was normal. A huge explosion rattled the camera installed in the wall and the giant robotic figure of Bane stepped into view.

"Huh?" came Bruce's startled voice. Bane picked him up and slammed him into a wall, smashing through another wall and into another room.

Robin watched helplessly as his mentor was beaten ruthlessly, mercilessly, in his own home. Bruce put up a valiant effort, leaping to his feet; he leapt high, smashing his fists into Bane with reckless abandon. Never before had Robin seen his mentor lose control of himself, not like this.

Bruce whirled, flipped back, and kicked out with fury. Bane grabbed his foot and hurled him across the room. His body smashed into a bookshelf. He picked him up by his collar and smashed his face. "How's it feel Bats? You're not so tough without your equipment are you?" Blood was leaking out of Bruce's mouth and nose. He was thrown through another room and Bane quickly followed.

"You're going to pay, Bane!" Bruce Wayne roared and attacked him with fury.

The fight was only minutes but to Robin it seemed like an age. Through Wayne Manor they fought until Bane forced Bruce down into the basement, into the Batcave. Bane smashed his mentor into the wall, knocking the breath out of him.

"Beg for mercy," Bane hissed. "SCREAM MY NAME!"

"NEVER!" Bruce retorted.

Bane picked up Bruce Wayne and held him up over his head.

"I WILL BREAK YOU!" Bane said triumphantly, then he broke Bruce's back, snapping it like a twig.

A strangled cry of horror escaped Robin's throat followed by Bruce's scream of agony. Robin couldn't believe it, his mentor was the best, invincible, untouchable, and now he was broken. Robin smashed his fist into the gigantic screen, beating it mercilessly, as if he were grappling with Bane himself.

The tape stopped after Robin saw Bruce pass out. Yin again appeared on the screen. "Robin?"she looked concerned, "You alright?"

He was breathing hard. He did his best to regain his shattered composure. "I'll be fine." He looked at her.

"Bruce wants to see you. You're the only one he can depend on now."

"What happened to Alfred?"

"He's been hurt bad. Bane showed no remorse in beating him just as he beat Bruce. Will you come back? We need you again. Bruce said…you'd do anything for him."

Robin's face became red with fury. "I'm coming back. Bane. Will. Pay."

The next day Robin informed his friends he had to go to Gotham City to take care of some business. The Titans seemed surprised. This was very unexpected for him to just up and leave without them.

"I'll only be gone a few days, Cyborg; you're in charge while I'm away." Robin grabbed a suitcase. Cyborg noticed that he wasn't in his Robin uniform.

"You're kidding right, Robin?" Cyborg asked in shock.

"Why do you need to leave so suddenly?" Starfire asked. It wasn't like Robin to up and leave without any explanation. He was the thinker, the planner. He wasn't very spontaneous, and it seemed very unlike him to do so.

"An emergency, someone needs me to come back to Gotham, so I have to go. I won 't be gone long." Unexpectedly, the phone began to ring.

"I'll get it!" He picked up the phone and answered it. "Hello? Detective Yin? Yes, I'm coming right away; I just have to settle some things with my friends first. I should be there by this afternoon."

Starfire wondered who this Detective Yin was. She decided against her better judgment to pick up the phone and listen in.

"Robin, you have to come quick. Without the Batman, Gotham's police department is shot."

"I know, it's just I have to get things in order before I leave."

Starfire gasped. She had heard stories of the Batman before. What kind of connection did Robin have to the Dark Knight? He never talked about his past before he started the Teen Titans and Starfire had never felt obliged to ask him. But now she was wondering what was going on with him, and why he felt the sudden need to go to Gotham. She quietly placed the phone back on the receiver.

Robin heard a distinct _click _during his conversation. He frowned.

"What was that?"

"I'm not sure. But I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thanks, and Robin," Detective Yin paused.

"Yes, Detective?"

"Bruce would be proud of you."

"Thank you Detective, I will come as soon as I can." He hung up the phone and went back to his room. He stared at the drawers that were filled with his Robin uniform. He was thoughtful for a moment. He would take a uniform with him, just as a safeguard, just in case he needed to use it.

Walking over to his closet, he opened the door. He pried up one of the floorboards to reveal a hidden compartment. In it were some of his normal civilian clothes. He hadn't worn them in a long time, considering the fact that he had no need for a secret identity here. Now he would take up the life of one who had been dead for a long time. He would be Richard Grayson again.

He smiled. It seemed ironic to him. Sometimes he wished he had a normal life. But his life was far from normal. After this moment of reflection, he finished packing his things. It was time to head home.

Meanwhile, Raven and Beast Boy were as equally startled as Cyborg was when Robin informed them that he was leaving. "Dude, why do you need to go to Gotham all of a sudden? We need you here!"

"Don't worry Beast Boy, I'll only be gone for a little while, then I'll be back. Cyborg's in charge and you'll all do just fine without me."

"I still don't understand why you need to leave so soon. When did you find out they needed you there?" Raven asked.

"Last night, Detective Yin from the Police Department said it was urgent that I come." Robin picked up his suitcase. "I won't be gone long." He shut the door behind him.

"Dude, I don't understand. He just up and leaves us with no explanation at all!" Beast Boy said. "I mean, at least he can tell us what this 'emergency' is, right?"

"Whatever it is, it must have been pretty important for him to leave first thing in the morning," Raven commented.

"But what could be more important to Robin than protecting this city?" Starfire asked.

"I have no idea, Star," Cyborg frowned. It doesn't make any sense."

"I did hear something about, what did that Detective Yin call him, the Man of Bats?" Starfire frowned.

"Do you mean the Batman?" Cyborg corrected her.

"Yes, that was the name I heard, yes, she called the man the Batman."

"What did she say about Batman?" Raven asked.

"She said, 'Without the Batman, Gotham's police department is shot,' will they be hurt without this Man of Bats, yes?"

"Not in that way, but it will get pretty ugly without him. Did she say what happened to him?"

"No, I do not know," Starfire said quietly. "We must go to this Gotham City to find friend Robin."

"We can't just up and leave just because Robin does! We have a city to protect! That's why he left me in charge." Cyborg protested.

"Whether you stay here or not friend Cyborg is your decision. I want to find Robin and ask him why he had left us."

"But Star, we can't just—"

"Can you not call the Titans East to come and watch the City?"

"I could but I don't think—"

"Come on dude, Star's worried sick about Robin and I wanna know what his deal is that he just takes off like that," Beast Boy interrupted. Raven looked thoughtful.

"Robin is our leader, and if it's important for him to be in Gotham City, then it should be important enough for us to get involved," Raven said.

"Alright you win, let me get a hold of Aqualad."

Within a matter of hours, Aqualad, Bumblebee and Speedy were at Titans Tower in Jump City. "Don't worry Cyborg; we'll keep this place safe for ya." Speedy reassured him.

"I'm sorry for the short notice guys, but we have an unexpected road trip."

"No problem, Cy, don't worry about a thing." The Titans East waved them off as Beast Boy, Starfire and Raven, along with Cyborg, drove off in the T Car.

"Well ya'll I guess we'll figure out what's going on." Cyborg stared out the window as they headed out towards Gotham City. He had to wonder what Robin's business was there, and why he was so urgently needed.

* * *

Robin got out of the train and stepped out onto the platform. Looking out over the gloomy visage that was Gotham City, he sighed. Home sweet home, he was back again.

He knew that Bruce was at the Gotham hospital; at least that was his impression. He had to contact Detective Yin immediately. He headed towards the Gotham Police Department; he figured she would be there.

Arriving at the police station, he walked in. "Hello," he said to the officer at the front desk, "I've come to see Detective Yin, is she here?"

"Yes she is," the man replied. "You're in luck; she's in her office right now." Robin walked in, he wasn't in uniform and he knew she was the only one on the police department who knew his secret identity.

Detective Ellen Yin looked up at him with a broad smile on her face. "Dick you made it! Thank goodness, I was beginning to worry."

"I wouldn't let you down, Detective. You know that," Robin replied.

"Come on, we gotta be going," Yin stood up and beckoned Robin to follow her.

"Where are we going?" Robin asked, he had a feeling of where they were going.

"Where else? To see Bruce and Alfred." They drove to the hospital in complete silence. Robin was trying to prepare himself for the worst.

Walking into the hospital, the receptionist looked at him. "We're here to see Bruce Wayne," Robin said simply.

"What's your relationship to him?" the lady asked.

"I'm his ward," he replied.

"Room 815, top floor. I warn you kid, it's pretty bad." Robin and Yin said nothing as they took the elevator up to the top floor. They found room 815, and walked inside. What Robin saw would haunt his darkest nightmares for a long time afterward.

Bruce lay on the bed, still, unmoving and inert. Various tubes and wires were attached to his body, hooked up to machines that monitored his body's vital signs. Robin couldn't believe it, it was like a dream; only this time it was harsh reality staring him in the face.

"Bruce…" he couldn't bring himself to say anymore. For a moment, he wondered if his mentor was even breathing.

"Richard…" the voice was barely audible. Just a whisper to his ears, he stepped closer, leaning in so he could hear better, "You came…"

"Why didn't you tell me what was happening, I would have been here in a heartbeat, you know that!" Robin replied, he had responded to the name he had not been called in ages, but still, he didn't care.

"I thought we weren't on speaking terms anymore," he said softly. "I suppose, my pride got in the way. I thought I could handle it myself."

"I'd do anything for you Bruce, you know that," Robin fought for words.

"I assumed you wanted to get out from under my shadow. Make a name for yourself. You've done that. Created a life. Fought your own fights. I didn't have the right to call you back."

"The right!" Dick exclaimed. "I'd die for you, Bruce!"

"Let's hope your loyalty won't have to be tested to that extent." Bruce smiled. "I'll admit it; I've missed you."

"Bruce…you missed me? Why didn't you tell me?" He didn't know this when he left. If he'd had known that he was actually missed by a man who seemed to show no emotion behind his mask…he had no idea what he would have done if he had known that.

"Bruce has a request of you Robin," Detective Yin said quietly.

"What is it?"

"Take up…" Bruce whispered, "Take up my mantle…become the Batman until I can recover."

"I'm honored…" Robin couldn't find words to say. "But I always thought you were invincible."

"I'm only human, Robin. I think I forgot that for awhile."

"Will you do it?" Yin asked. The entire City trusted Batman to protect them. Now Robin would take up the mantle, and protect them once more, if he agreed to it. She hoped he would say yes.

Robin nodded. "I'd do anything for him."

"It could be weeks, months before he fully recovers. He'll have to relearn everything."

"I know. But I will stay until he recovers, or someone takes his place. I'd die for him. This is the least I can do."


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two **

"It's good you've decided to stay. You don't know how bad it's gotten already," Detective Ellen Yin said in a relieved voice when Robin accepted the mantle of the Batman. "Things have gotten worse and it's only been two weeks."

"What's the situation?" Robin asked; he sat down in a chair beside Bruce's bed. Bruce drifted into sleep and Robin hoped he would be able to get enough rest.

"Well, without Batman to protect the city, Gotham's worst are having no trouble doing whatever they want. The police force is overwhelmed. Chief Rojas' best are being stretched to the limit, including me. Ever since Ethan…well you know…" her voice trailed off. Robin nodded.

Ethan Bennett had been Bruce's best friend from childhood. They had grown apart over the years, and after an incident with the Joker, Ethan had become a villain known as Clayface, a fierce enemy of the Batman. They rarely talked or saw each other anymore because Ethan could not conceal his superpower for a long period of time.

That was why he had to keep changing form, so no one would find him, and if they did talk, it was as Batman and Clayface, not as Bruce Wayne and Ethan Bennett.

Robin knew this because Batman told him. There were no secrets with them then. Now they're relationship was different, distant and strained, he hadn't spoken with him until his hospital visit that day. He just hadn't seen the need to. Robin snapped out of his reverie to listen to what Detective Yin was telling him.

Detective Yin paused, "…left us, I'm the only one who supports working with the Batman. That may all change though."

"Why?"

"One of our best recruits, Jim Gordon is being considered to become Commissioner of the Gotham Police Department. He could replace Rojas."

"And what will that change about Batman's relationship to the Police Department?" Robin asked.

"Well, Jim Gordon is friendly to the Batman."

"You know this, how?"

"I was with him when he first met the Batman, and I went with him when he would have meetings with him to discuss strategies for protecting Gotham. He is on your side and he believes if we worked together fighting crime would be easier."

"Yes, if he replaces Rojas then the Police Department will be friendlier towards the Batman. It will be hard though. Who knows how many villains have officers in their pockets. I hope it will help you."

"That's very good, very good. It's about time they start helping rather than hindering." Robin sighed, it had been frustrating. The people loved the Batman and Robin; they were the heroes, the ones who saved them.

The Police however, considered them to be a threat. Chief Rojas had a "No Tolerance for Freaks Policy," and he wouldn't have the Batman and Robin outdoing the Gotham Police Department. Not that the Gotham Police Department did a great deal for the city, many officers willingly took bribes from criminals.

Corruption was rampant and a few like Jim Gordon and Detective Yin were there to actually dish out justice to the lowlifes of Gotham.

That was why the Batman was there. He would give justice when the police didn't or wouldn't. He was a beacon in the darkness, when there was trouble; he was there to stop it. The people had come to accept the Dark Knight and evildoers had come to fear him. Until he fell.

Now there was no one to defend them from the thieves, the muggers, the rapists, and the murderers that plagued the streets like locusts. At least, that was how it had been for two weeks. But nor more, that was all going to end.

Criminals were literally celebrating the Dark Knight's fall in the streets; they thought he was gone forever. They were wrong; he would come back in a different person. The student would become the master; he would take his place and keep the city safe until Bruce had recovered.

"Detective Yin, I must ask you a question," Robin began heavily.

"What is that?" Ellen Yin asked.

"Did you know the Batman was Bruce Wayne?"

"No, I didn't," she replied. "Not until he called me on the Batwave the night he was attacked in Wayne Manor. Believe me; I was shocked when I saw him. I had worked with him for years, but never in my wildest dreams did I think Bruce Wayne was the Batman. The two just didn't go together."

"The swinging bachelor and the brooding Dark Knight different as day and night huh?" Robin laughed. "But he was one and the same. He just had to persuade you that he wasn't." Robin changed the subject. "Where are they keeping Alfred?"

"Well, he's in this room too. I'm surprised he wasn't up when you walked in," Yin pointed down passed Bruce's bed. Robin saw the figure in it was none other than Alfred Pennyworth. Robin was just as shocked at his condition as he was shocked with Bruce's. One of his arm's was broken and in a sling. His face was bruised badly and one of his eyes was swollen shut. His injuries weren't serious for a normal, average age person, he was older, mid fifties to early sixties and injuries were harder for his body to heal.

"Master Dick, is that you Sir?" came his voice. Normally it was bright and chipper, but now he seemed tired and exhausted. He opened his eyes and blinked at Robin. Robin moved to sit beside him on a chair.

"How are you doing Alfred? They treat you good around here?" Robin asked. The elderly man looked at him. A pair of gray eyes met blue ones, and he nodded. Alfred gave Robin's hand a shake. It was weak but still, he did his best.

"My treatment here is first rate; as much as can be expected from Gotham's finest hospital. I am fine. But I fear this has done more to Master Bruce than just bodily injury."

Robin nodded. "I know Alfred. Don't you worry about a thing; I'll handle Bruce's affairs while he's recovering. That's why I came back."

"Does that include Master Bruce's 'night hobby' as well?"

"Yes, Alfred, it includes Bruce's 'night hobby' as you call it."

"Well, be careful Master Dick. I don't want to have an unexpected roommate."

"Understood, Alfred understood. Believe me; I won't let that happen to me. What became of all Bruce's equipment?"

"Bane obliterated it Sir, it's completely destroyed." Robin was disappointed.

"Including the Batmobile?" One thing Robin had always wanted to do while he lived with Bruce was drive the Batmobile. It was special to Bruce and he had not given him permission to drive it, ever.

"Yes, including the Batmobile," Alfred replied.

"Guess we'll have to start from scratch huh?"

"That shouldn't be too hard. Although Bane stole quite a bit of Master Bruce's assets, he still has plenty. I remember that Bruce got much of his equipment from one Lucius Fox. I think he's still alive. He could probably provide you with the necessary equipment for your 'night hobby'."

"Did Bruce ever tell Lucius what the equipment was for?"

"He said it was for extreme sports I think Sir."

"Well what I do is extreme but it's hardly a sport," Robin smiled. "I hope you recover soon Alfred."

"Me too, Sir," Alfred replied. "Are you leaving now?"

"Yes, I have to be going to start building from scratch." He stood up. He walked over to Detective Yin who had quietly been listening from her seat near Bruce.

"Don't worry, Robin, I'll contact you if anything comes up."

"Thanks. I better be going. I have a lot of work to do."

* * *

The Teen Titans had been in the T Car for six hours before they saw the outskirts of Gotham City. "So this is Gotham City. It is very large. How will we find friend Robin in such a vast place?" Starfire asked.

That was the question that had been bothering all of them. Cyborg had tried to reach Robin's Communicator only to find that he wasn't answering or it had been shut off. He was even more worried because Robin's homing signal wasn't picking up either.

Of course they didn't know that Robin had shut off his Communicator and his homing signal before he left, he hadn't worn his uniform when he left and he didn't want them to know where he was in Gotham. If his friends knew where he was that might be more of a hindrance than a help to him. If he was to become Batman, he had to work alone. That was his reputation for the most part. The Titans didn't know any of this. They just knew their leader had left them in a hurry with no explanation at all. That was why they followed him, they wanted answers.

"I have no idea Starfire," Cyborg replied. "I suppose we'll have to look."

"Who knows how long how long that'll take," Beast Boy complained. "We could be here for _months!_"

"We'll be here as long as it takes for us to find Robin," Cyborg said. "Besides, it's not easy for someone as well known as Robin to just disappear."

"I know nobody's brought this up but what if we get there and no one knows where Robin is," Raven said. "Superheroes in Gotham usually have secret identities."

"How would you know?" Beast Boy asked. "We don't have secret identities, why's Gotham different?"

"It's a lot more dangerous there than Jump City. All the villains you've ever heard of come from Gotham City."

"Okay Raven, name some," Beast Boy said.

"The Joker, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Firefly, Bane, Clayface, Catwoman, The Man-Bat, and Scarface."

"I've heard of the Joker," Cyborg said. "Didn't some kind of chemical accident cause his face to be permanently disfigured?"

"Yeah, he's got like a permanent smile on his face and he looks like a clown but he's a psycho criminal who kills people," Beast Boy added, "I think that's why I'm afraid of clowns."

"Beast Boy, you're afraid of clowns?" Cyborg burst out laughing. "I didn't know that!"

"But what are these 'secret identities' you speak of Beast Boy?" Starfire asked. She had never heard the term before and it puzzled her.

"Secret identities are something superheroes use to hide the fact that they have superpowers," Beast Boy explained.

"Why would one wish to hide their powers if they have them?" Starfire didn't understand what he meant by it.

"Starfire, in Gotham City, there are lots of criminals who would love to find out who Batman is, who he is when he's not wearing his costume so they could hurt him."

"I think I understand friend Beast Boy. The Man of Bats is not always in costume so people do not know who he is, correct?"

He nodded. "Now you're getting it!"

"Do you refer to the time that Elasti-Girl called you Garfield when the Patrol of Doom left us?"

"Well, uh yeah, that's my real name, but nobody hardly calls me that anymore since you all call me Beast Boy." Gar turned to Cyborg. "So how 'bout you, Cyborg? Since you thought my name was so funny when you first heard it,it's your turn to tell all."

"Okay, okay, my name is Victor Stone," Cyborg admitted. "My father was a scientist. But when I had my accident, he hat to replace my body with all my cybernetic parts."

"I see," Beast Boy looked at Starfire. "So on Tamaran, what do they call you besides Starfire?"

"They call me Kor'iander," she replied.

"Okay…Is there any way we can turn that into something that sounds remotely like English?" Beast Boy frowned.

"Kory Anders?" Starfire suggested.

He shrugged. "It works. So Raven, what about you?"

"I don't have one," she said flatly.

"You don't have one what?" Beast Boy asked.

"A secret identity, I don't have one. I never needed one; I've always been called Raven."

"So do you have a last name of some kind?"

"My mother's name, before she went to the dimension of Azarath, she was called Angela Roth."

"Well Raven Roth then," Beast Boy said. "I don't think I'm gonna get used to calling you guys by your real names, but I guess I'll have to."

"Well _Garfield_ let's hope we won't have to use our real names for long because you know I won't stop bugging you about it." Beast Boy, Garfield Logan groaned loudly.

"Friend Victor?" Starfire, now Kory Anders asked.

"Yes, Kory?"

"If Robin has a secret identity too do you know what it is?"

"I have no idea. We never talked about this kind of stuff. I never thought we'd need to."

"If we do not know who he is then how will we find him?"

"I suppose we'll have to look, Kory."

Cyborg watched as they entered Gotham City. It was a large, bustling metropolis filled with people going about their daily lives. They took little notice of the T Car, although some did look up in curiosity before moving on with their business.

"We're gonna have to do something about the T Car," Beast Boy said verily. Cyborg was very picky about the T Car. He claimed it was his "Baby".

"Like what?"

"We're going to have to paint it," Beast Boy said. Victor looked mortified.

"There is _NO WAY_ you are going to paint _MY BABY! **IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN!**" _he shouted at Beast Boy.

"Sorry dude, we can't help it. The T Car just looks too superheroish and it might draw out the bad guys."

"So?" Cyborg asked sarcastically.

"What do you mean by 'so'? Do you remember where we are? This is Gotham City! Being a superhero means risking your neck!"

"If the T Car _has _to be painted then _I'm_ doing it," Cyborg conceded.

"Have it your way dude," Beast Boy said. "Phew! I thought you were gonna kill me or something."

"You're lucky I'm driving," Cyborg muttered under his breath.

Kory Anders looked out at the streets of Gotham City. She wondered why Robin would come here. She didn't understand everything that was going on. She hoped like the others that they would find him so he could tell them what was going on. But the Titans had no idea where to look or where to start, they just hoped they would find him. They had no idea what was going to happen but the truth that they would discover would be so incredible it would be something they would never forget for the rest of their lives.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

After many hours of painting, and many sad sighs from Victor Stone, the T Car was well, _normal looking,_ is the best description he had for it. He felt sad in a way, his baby wasn't special anymore. She was just a car now, on the outside at least. "Well, y'all the T Car is officially "normalified", no one will ever know it belongs to the Teen Titans."

"What are we going to do now friend Victor?"

"I suppose we go look for Robin," Victor replied.

"But where shall we start?"

"No clue, and that's a problem. But I think we need to buy some new clothes first."

"New clothes, friend Victor; is there something wrong with the way we are dressed?" Kory asked.

"Well, we don't exactly _look_ normal. If we want to _be _normal we must dress normal."

"Oh, joy," Raven muttered sarcastically.

Climbing out of the car, they drove to a clothing store and began looking around. It took a few hours but soon they had some outfits. Garfield Logan sported a jeans and a T-shirt look. Raven sported the Goth look, which didn't surprise any of them in the least. Victor bought a black shirt and khaki pants. And Kory? A lime green shirt with matching pair of shorts with blue flowers, her friends gave her odd looks. But it was the beginning of summer so it worked; she just seemed a little out of place with the rest of them.

They also bought a few more outfits so they'd have something to change into. At long last, they were ready to leave and begin their search for Robin. They were driving down the road when Gar noticed something odd.

"Hey, what's going on at the hospital?" Beast Boy asked. He had noticed a large crowd gathering outside the hospital entrance. "Come on guys, let's go see!" Victor parked the disguised T Car and they climbed out.

"Let's stay in the back though; we don't want any unnecessary attention." They pushed there way a little through the crowd. They were at the back of the swarm of press but they could see, if one could see through the blinding flashes of the cameras as they began to snap pictures of a sharply dressed young man.

"Oh Dude, that guy's Dick Grayson!" Beast Boy said to Victor.

"Who is this Dick Grayson?" Kory asked. She hadn't heard of him before. Then again, the name rang a bell in her mind; she just couldn't place where she had heard the name before.

"Isn't he the heir of Bruce Wayne, the founder of Wayne Enterprises?" Raven asked.

"Yes, and he's set to inherit Bruce Wayne's billions. He has more money than you can imagine."

"Dude, I can imagine quite a bit," Beast Boy countered. "I think Grayson's trying to say something."

"I'm willing to answer questions if there are any," he began quietly.

"Has Mr. Wayne's condition improved?" a man asked.

"He is conscious and steadily recovering," Dick Grayson replied calmly.

"Is it true you'll be looking after Wayne Enterprises while he recuperates?" came a quick question from someone in the front.

"Yes, I'll be here looking after Wayne Enterprises." Dick Grayson began scanning the crowd. His eyes blue eyes met the stares of the press with steady confidence. He would try his best to answer there questions.

"Mr. Grayson, where was the Dark Knight when this incident occurred?" Dick Grayson kept his features composed. He had not exactly anticipated the question coming up so quickly. He retained his calm demeanor in practiced study in composure.

"The Batman, the Dark Knight as you call him, could not reach Bruce Wayne in time. He tried to save him but he was defeated by Bane."

"Mr. Grayson, what became of Robin III? Where was he?" a woman shouted loudly.

"Robin III has retired; he didn't want to do it anymore." There was an audible gasp. Kory's face was a mass of confusion.

"Who is this Robin III they speak of? There is only one Robin and that is our Robin, how can there be another?"

"I don't know Kory, we'll find out when we can find Robin…" Victor replied. "I don't understand what's happening either."

"I will take no further questions," Richard Grayson. "If you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to." The flurry of shouts began but Richard Grayson ignored them. He made his way through the crowd, bumping into Kory and Raven. Kory finally got a good look at his face. He seemed so familiar, but she couldn't place him. Their eyes met for a brief second, fiery emerald green and sky blue, there was a connection between them that she couldn't place; the moment ended and then he pressed passed the crowd to a car where an older woman with dark hair sat in the driver's seat.

"Detective Yin," Dick Grayson said, "I need to see Lucius Fox."

"Alright, Robin—"

"Please call me Dick, Detective," he gave her a smile. "You might as well get accustomed to calling me by my real name."

"Of course, Dick. Lucius Fox is the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, right?"

"Yes, he is," Dick replied. "And I need to see him right away."

Driving to Wayne Enterprises, Richard Grayson walked inside and walked straight to the office of Lucius Fox's office.

Lucius Fox was sitting in his office chair; he looked up as Dick Grayson walked in. "Richard Grayson! Thank God you've come back. We were worried that Wayne Enterprises wouldn't be able to function as well without him."

"That's the reason I've come back. I wanted to make sure everything runs smoothly." Dick Grayson said confidently.

"That's very good to hear Mr. Grayson," Lucius Fox replied.

"So Lucius, how are things going?"

"Things have been very uptight since the attack on Bruce. We've all been very nervous." Lucius looked at him. "I don't understand why this happened."

"Well don't worry Lucius. I'm sure we'll figure out what's going on around here." Dick Grayson placed a hand on the CEO's shoulder. "I promise. Oh and by the way, I have a request to ask of you."

"What would that be?" Lucius Fox asked.

"Do you remember the time Bruce asked you for the armored assault suit, the grapple gun, the utility belt and the Tumbler?"

"Yes, but that was ages ago! Why?"

"I need everything you gave him. I need all the equipment, everything he had, can you do that for me?"

"Of course, Mr. Grayson," Lucius looked at him. "Everything Bruce has is yours anyway."

"Do I need to pay for it?"

"I might as well give it to you since money is not an object for you anyway."

"I still think I should pay for it."

"Please, Dick. You practically own Wayne Enterprises. Call it a gift between friends."

"I don't know Lucius. I don't want to bother you. You do so much already."

"No trouble at all. You should probably be going. I've taken up too much of your time."

"I'm actually on my way to Wayne Manor now."

"I'll warn you in advance. It's in really bad shape."

"Don't worry about it. In no time at all everything well be fixed Thank you for your time."

"You're welcome Mr. Grayson," Lucius Fox said as Dick turned and left the room.

Richard Grayson arrived at Wayne Manor. The place was in had shape on the outside, giant gaps where walls once stood. Broken glass was scattered about the lawn and extensive damage was prominent in many places.

He stepped through the great doorway of Wayne Manor and walked inside. It was so empty and dark, he felt a morbid sense of depression wash over him; it was overwhelming. It was completely silent; the place had an eerie feel about it.

Unexpectedly, he heard a soft whimper. Looking around, he tried to find the source of it. The soft whimper came again. "Ace? Old boy is that you?" Ace was Bruce Wayne's dog. He had bought it for him when he had first come to Wayne Manor. Ace was Dick's companion before he became Robin. He had kept him company when Bruce was away. He had always been able to talk to him. Ace knew all his hopes, dreams and fears. He was his best friend of four legs.

He was surprised the dog had survived the attack. He saw his furry friend limp out of the library. "Come here, boy. It's me, Dick. Come on Ace, remember me?" The eight-year-old Greyhound wagged its tail and lumbered up to him.

"That's a good boy. I missed you." The dog nuzzled his hands and settled his head against his knee as Richard knelt beside his four-legged friend.

"Yeah, I know it's been a long time, boy." Dick scratched Ace behind his ears. "You haven't changed one bit." Ace let out a playful bark and placed his paws on his master's lap.

"Down boy, easy," Dick soothed. "Come on let's take a look around this place, huh?" Pushing the dog off his knees he rose to his feet. Looking around he realized how extensive the damage was. The place in the worst shape was the Batcave. How he was going to fix that, he had no idea. It would probably take construction crew weeks to fix Wayne Manor. And he did not want them crawling all over the mansion and possibly discovering the Batcave.

For the first time Dick Grayson thought about his friends. Maybe he should have told them why he left so suddenly. He admitted to himself he could probably use their help in foxing Wayne Manor. He knew Cyborg would have loved to get his hands on the Tumbler, his friend would have died of shock if he knew what he was going to turn it into.

Dick Grayson sighed. His friends were in Jump City. He knew he probably wouldn't see them for a long time. Taking Batman's place was something one did not take lightly. He knew he might not see his friends for a long time. He missed them already, but he knew he must sacrifice what he wanted so he could serve others. It was what made him a hero.

He made his way down into the basement where the Batcave was. If he was going to start cleaning up he knew he should probably start there. He would have to conceal the room again so no one would find it. Staring at the shambles of the old hideout he cracked his knuckles. "Well, Ace, let's get to work shall we?" The dog barked an answer. Dick smiled; it was time to go to work.

* * *

After listening to the long dialogue between Dick Grayson and the press, the Teen Titans decided they better make themselves inconspicuous so they wouldn't draw attention to themselves. Kory Amders looked at Victor Stone with worry.

"What should we do now?"

"I'm not sure, Kory. But I wonder if Robin's sudden need to come here has anything to do with this attack on Bruce Wayne the press was interviewing him about."

"Why would Robin have connections to a big shot philanthropist like Bruce Wayne?" Gar Logan asked

"I'm not sure; does anyone know what Robin did before he formed the Teen Titans?" Victor frowned.

"Wasn't he Batman's sidekick once, way back a long time ago?" Raven asked.

"Excuse me, but I do not understand this term "sidekick" you speak of." Kory Anders frowned. "What is a sidekick?"

"It's someone who helps the hero kick butt," Gar Logan replied.

"I see."

"So you think Robin came back to Gotham City because of Wayne Enterprises?" Raven asked.

"He could have. If I remember correctly, Batman and Robin work for Bruce Wayne the owner of Wayne Enterprises. We should probably start looking there."

"But how will we find him when we arrive?" Kory asked.

"I don't know Kory, maybe he'll find us," Victor looked out at the streets of Gotham through his windshield, "let's hope we can find him."

* * *

_A few days later…_

There was a loud knock at the door and Ace barked loudly at it. Dick Grayson jumped to his feet from the couch he was sitting on and ran to the door. Opening it, he saw Lucius Fox standing in front of him.

"Hello, Lucius. Do you have it for me?"

"Yes, the armored assault suit, the grapple gun, the utility belt and the Tumbler are all right here sir. Did you want it in black?"

"Lucius, you're the best. It's black right?"

"Yes it is, you have Bruce's tastes too, it seems. How is he?"

"He is steadily recovering. I visited him just before I came to see you."

"When you see him again, give him my regards."

"I will, don't worry."

"Dick, may I ask what all this equipment is for?"

"It's for a…hobby of mine, I'm going to need something to do while I'm here besides work."

"Oh, you the extreme sports type like Bruce?"

"You might say that," Dick looked at him. "Thank you for your time, I'm sorry to keep you so long. I'm sure you're very busy."

"No problem Dick. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll be by tomorrow morning."

"See you then, Dick."

"Thanks Lucius," Dick shut the door behind him. He began to start working on the bat like cowl that would cover his face. It took him hours but at last, the mask was ready. He smiled with pride at his accomplishment. But the task was far from over, he didn't even have the Batcave operational yet.

Richard "Dick" John Grayson stood in the dark recesses of the Batcave beneath Wayne Manor. He had just completed the redesign of the Batsuit. It was a dark grayish black, nearly an ebony color. He had carefully engraved the Bat symbol onto the chest plate. He had to do it himself; he couldn't let anyone see what he was making. He had to keep it a secret. He began gathering equipment for his utility belt, smoke pellets, electronic explosives, Bat-a-Rangs, and his gas powered grapple gun.

Dick Grayson looked at the assembled pieces of the Batsuit. It was all ready. All the pieces were in place. There was just one missing element.

"Now the student will become the master." Richard Grayson said solemnly. He took the advanced assault suit and put it on, then he took the utility belt and strapped it on. Grabbing a dark cape that the Dark Knight wore, he slung it about his shoulders. The final piece was ready. He placed the cowl over his face, it covered his eyes completely, now he was ready.

"Gotham City, I've come back. Care to welcome me home?"


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Dick Grayson immediately began working on the Tumbler. He had spent the previous day purchasing more equipment for his crusade. He sighed in frustration. "I don't have time for this!" he said, staring at his four legged companion Ace who was watching intently sitting on his haunches beside his master.

"Ruff, Ruff," Ace barked and gave his beloved master big adorable puppy eyes. He panted happily as Dick absentmindedly scratched his head.

"Yeah, I know boy. If you could talk you'd probably tell me that everything's fine." Dick Grayson smiled. "It's kinda nice being back again. Not that I terribly miss this place, but you know boy, I miss you and my friends I have here." He sighed. His friends, his thoughts soon turned to Jump City and the Titans. He wondered how they were faring without him.

The thought had entered his head more than once that day that his friends might try to follow him. But why? He had left Cyborg in charge and he knew his friend could handle it. Beast Boy and Raven, he was sure they would be fine without him, Dick chuckled. He would miss their noisy bickering.

"I don't have time to work on the Tumbler. But I need some sort of transportation to get me from place to place." The thought hit him. "I can use the motorcycle!" All he needed to do was modify it. "But how long will that take? Every second wasted is time lost and more criminals on the loose in Gotham. What do you think boy?"

"Ruff, ruff," the dog barked again.

"I take that as a 'You should definitely work on it,'" Dick laughed. "Okay. Let me see…" He began tinkering with the cycle. "Rocket boosters, laser guns, souped up engines; I think that's it!" he finished after he had properly installed everything. He glanced over at his Titans communicator lying on a nearby workbench. He wondered if he should check on his friends.

He decided to check and pushed the button. "Guys?"

"Hey Robin, so good of you to call," to Robin's surprise it was Aqualad's voice!

"Aqualad, what are you doing at Titans Tower!" Robin asked in disbelief. "Where are the Titans?"

"There in Gotham, looking for you! You didn't know they were coming?" Aqualad asked.

"Well—uh, no! No! They weren't supposed to follow me here! I left Cyborg in charge to watch over the city!"

"And he left me, Speedy, and Bumblebee in charge while they're away," Aqualad said simply. "You didn't just expect them to stay here while you ran off to Gotham, did you?"

"I was expecting them to follow my orders!" Robin was exasperated. "When did they leave?"

"Yesterday, about two or three hours after you did," Aqualad replied.

"So do you know whose idea it was to follow me here?" Robin asked.

"Starfire's," was the reply.

"Oh great, listen Aqualad, thanks for telling me this. The situation has become much more complicated."

"How so?" he asked.

"I can't say, it's just my situation is much more dangerous now that they're here. I have to go. Watch over the City."

"Will do Robin, will do," Aqualad signed off. Robin pounded the bench in frustration. "How could they disobey me like this? I told them to stay in Jump City! Now what am I going to do? They're probably looking for me right now."

He remembered the press conference. He remembered after he was done answering reporters' questions and making his way towards the car where Detective Yin was waiting for him.

He remembered meeting eyes with someone in the crowd. Someone achingly familiar, he remembered catching a glimpse of flaming red hair and meeting the gaze of a young girl with green eyes…green eyes…emerald green eyes. The realization hit him like a bolt of lightening. That someone was Starfire!

Dressed in normal civilian attire he hadn't even recognized her! They were there in Gotham already? Dick Grayson about slapped himself. They had followed him that quickly? Starfire was the one who mainly worried about him, he knew that much; but to up and follow him without hesitation blew him away completely.

Dick Grayson now had more than one thing to worry about. Now he had to worry about protecting the city as well as protecting his friends, along with keeping his identity as the Batman a secret. He wasn't sure if the Titans knew what they were getting themselves into. Gotham was far more dangerous than Jump City, and the villains were much more sinister than the Amazing Mumbo, the alien Soto, and Cardiac.

The signal on the Batwave suddenly came to life, blaring loudly. He sighed, he had to put that aside, he had work to do.

Straddling the Bat Cycle, he floored it out of Wayne Manor into the awaiting darkness.

Meanwhile, the Gotham Police Department was having its own troubles. Detective Yin activated the Batwave, contacting Dick Grayson instantly. "Batman?"

"Yes Detective?" Dick Grayson, formerly Robin, now the Batman replied.

"We have a situation."

"What is it?"

"The museum's rigged to explode."

"Let me guess, the Riddler?"

"Bingo," she replied. "And no one's dared set foot in the place. Chief Rojas hates riddles and I barely survived my first encounter with him and all his puzzles."

"I see. I'm on my way," Batman replied.

"But Batman, there's already people inside the museum. They're trying to dismantle the bomb."

"_WHAT?"_

"They call themselves the Teen Titans. They said they could dismantle it."

"When did they arrive?"

"15 minutes ago." Detective Yin looked up as Batman pulled up in his Bat Cycle. "You made it. Excellent."

"I need to find my friends. You said they were in the museum?"

"Yes, they are. Let's hope they make it out alive." Yin watched the Batman sprint inside the museum. She wondered what was going on inside.

* * *

After the press conference was over, the Titans climbed back into the T Car. "That was interesting," Beast Boy commented. "I guess there's more than one Robin."

"If that's true, then why didn't we know about it?" Vic Stone asked. "I mean, this is something we should know about, right?"

"I suppose so," Raven commented. "It just seems strange. Three Robins, it doesn't make sense."

"I do not understand either Raven, but if we can find Robin, our Robin, I am sure it will all be explained," Starfire said. "There must be some logical reason for Robin to come back here."

"That's all well and good Star, but where do we look?" Gar Logan asked."

"We start looking for the Batman," Raven said.

"The Batman?" Victor frowned.

"Yeah, Starfire heard Robin talking to that detective and she said that without the Batman the police are stuck. So if we can find the Batman he can tell us where Robin is."

"Good idea, Rae," Victor smiled. "So, how do we find the Batman?"

"Easy, we find the police. Where the police are, the Batman is also."

"You seem to know a lot about Gotham. How do you know so much?" Gar asked. Raven seemed to have an extensive knowledge of the place. She knew about Batman and many of his adversaries, where this information came from, he had no idea.

"My mother used to live here, and when I would see her when I lived in the dimension of Azarath she would tell me stories she heard when she lived there."

"So you have never met the Batman," Kory Anders said.

"No, I only know stories."

"Well we may meet him soon enough. We need to see what's going on over there," Gar pointed. "There are plenty of police officers."

"We have to change first. They won't like us meddling with their business if we're dressed in normal clothes." They pulled into a gas station. Jumping out, they all ran into the restrooms to change into their uniforms.

Soon, they were ready to go. Victor pushed a button and the normal looking car changed completely into the T Car. Victor had repainted the outside of the T Car, but he had cleverly discovered a way to make the outside of the T Car reversible so he could with the push of a button, transform his Baby entirely. They drove to where the police were stationed outside the museum.

"Hey kids, get out of here!" a man shouted gruffly. "This is no place for you!"

"We can help you if you'll let us!" Cyborg shouted in answer.

"Who are you? More freaks?" he spat back.

"We are not 'freaks'" Starfire shouted angrily. "We are the Teen Titans."

"Chief, they work with Robin," a lady said.

"Robin and Batman, all these freaks need to be locked away! I have no tolerance for freaks!" the man shouted at her angrily.

"Rojas, it isn't your place to say what policy is," the lady said.

"What? What do you mean by that," he asked, shocked.

"This memo was on your desk," the lady handed him a piece of paper.

"Detective Yin, if you think this is some kind of joke—" the man began.

"No, this isn't a joke, Chief," Detective Yin said. "You're being replaced."

"Replaced? By who?" Chief Rojas asked.

"By me," said a man's voice. The Titans turned to see a man coming towards him. He was a strong, powerful built man. He had a beard and slightly graying hair.

"James Gordon," Chief Rojas said through gritted teeth.

"Yes, it's me. And that's _Commissioner Gordon_ to you, Rojas. Now if I were you I would I would let these young people help with our problem. I'm actually surprised the Batman hasn't shown up."

"You know the Batman?" Gar Logan, Beast Boy asked.

"Yes, and if I'm not mistaken, you four must be the Teen Titans."

"Dude! You know who we are?" he asked.

"Not exactly, I know about the Teen Titans because of Robin," the man smiled. "I'm Commissioner Gordon, this is Chief Rojas. I apologize for his behavior, and you are…?"

"I'm Cyborg," Cyborg stepped forward, "this is Beast Boy, Raven and Starfire…Robin's the leader but we can't find him."

"Well, it's very nice to make your acquaintance," Commissioner Gordon said. "This is Detective Yin," he gestured to the young woman beside him.

"You are Detective Yin!" Starfire exclaimed. "You are the one I heard on the phone!"

"You heard me on the phone?" Detective Yin asked, surprised.

"Only for a moment, I am sorry if I dropped the eaves, but I heard you say that without the Batman the police department is shot."

"That's true," Detective Yin smiled. Beast Boy noticed she breathed a visible sigh of relief. It seemed she was relieved about something. And it had to do with the conversation she had had with Robin. She frowned for a moment, "Excuse me, you said you 'dropped the eaves' on me?"

"_YOU EAVESDROPPED ON ROBIN?"_ all the Titans asked in shock.

"Yes, I did. I was worried. I could not help it."

"Well, ah, Starfire, don't worry about it," Detective Yin said. "As long as you don't do it again, you'll be okay in my book."

"Thank you, Detective. "I am sorry."

"You're forgiven."

"So, Commissioner Gordon what's the situation?" Cyborg asked.

"The museum's been rigged with a bomb," Commissioner Gordon explained. "None of our officers know how to dismantle it."

"That's bad," Raven commented.

"You got that right, kid. If there's any way you can help us, I would appreciate it."

"But Gordon, you can't just let these kids—" Chief Rojas protested.

"They are the Teen Titans. I know Robin personally and I'm sure that they can handle this just fine. I say let them try. It's better than what you've been doing, which is nothing but stand here!" he glared at Rojas.

Police Chief Rojas ground his teeth, muttering inaudible insults under his breath.

"Raven, take us in!" Cyborg ordered.

"You got it," Raven surrounded them in her dark aura and they vanished from sight.

"How'd she do that?" Detective Ellen Yin asked.

"No clue, Detective. Did you call the Batman?"

"I will Commissioner," Detective Yin replied. She hoped the Titans would be okay. If it was really the Riddler, then the Titans would have to be very careful. He wasn't a normal villain. He was a very clever one.

The Titans appeared inside the museum. Looking around, Cyborg spotted the rigged explosives immediately. "Well y'all, let's see if we can dismantle this thing."

"What's that over there?" Raven asked pointing to a keyboard stationed near where the explosives were.

"Look, there's something written on it!" Beast Boy leaned in close to the computer screen. "It's a message of some sort."

"_When I am nothing, I am something, but when I am something I am nothing. What am I?"_

"What the heck is it?" Beast Boy asked. "It makes no sense."

"It has to be something or it wouldn't be here," Raven said.

"Friends, I think I know what it is," Starfire said simply. "It is a—"

"—A riddle," came a voice from the shadows. The Titans jumped and prepared for battle. They assumed an offensive stance, ready to fight.

"Who are you?" Cyborg demanded to the voice in the dark recesses of the museum.

"It can wait, said the low voice. "The answer is the word _riddle_. Type it in quickly." The Titans did as the voice said and punched the word _riddle _into the keypad.

"You're right," another voice said, "Step into the light…so the Riddler can see you."

A bright light suddenly shown in the dark room, "Now who are you?" Asked a man whose face appeared on the screen. He had long dark hair and a tattoo.

"We're the Teen Titans," Cyborg said to the image. "And Riddler, we're going to take you down."

"Oh really," the Riddler asked. "I was hoping for a battle of wits…with the Batman."

"Too bad, the Batman's unavailable, what's all this about a battle of wits with us?" Cyborg said. "What do you mean by that?"

"I have rigged explosives all around the City," the Riddler said simply. "If you can dismantle all of them, then you win. You're to have no outside help from anyone. If I hear any squawking from the police or anyone else, I set off the detonation. You're first stop, Teen Titans, the Gotham Bridge." The screen shut off.

"Okay, now what do we do? I don't know my way around Gotham," Cyborg said in disgust.

"Raven, you heard of the Riddler before?" Beast Boy asked.

"Name rings a bell, but I don't know about him though."

"But I do," said the voice. The Titans turned around. A figure dropped to the floor. "Hurry, we haven't much time."

"The Batman?" Starfire asked in awe. The Batman nodded but remained silent.

"Follow me," the Batman ordered. "We have to get to the Gotham Bridge and dismantle the bombs."

"We're right behind you," Cyborg said.

They all ran out. Starfire caught a first glimpse of the Batman. He wasn't exactly what she was expecting, although he was powerful and mysterious, she noticed there was something that reminded her of Robin.

Detective Yin ran forward. "Hey, Titans!" They stopped and looked at her. "You may need this." She handed them the Batwave.

"The Riddler's still unable to hack into the Batwave's signal. He can help you without being spotted by the Riddler."

"Thanks, Detective," Cyborg took the Batwave from her. "Titans, go!"

They scrambled into the T Car and Dick Grayson straddled the seat of his cycle. His friends still hadn't figured out it was him behind the mask. He was surprised that the Titans had rushed so quickly to help the Gotham Police Department, the police weren't exactly willing to cooperate with them.

"Good luck guys," Detective Yin whispered. "Let's hope they can stop him."

The Bat Cycle and the T Car careened away from the museum. "Well, Batman, do you know where you're going?" Cyborg asked.

"Of course I do," was the curt reply. "I live here, remember?"

"Of course," Cyborg said. "Lead the way."

Batman pulled his Bat Cycle back far away from the Gotham Bridge. "I can't go with you. If Riddler sees me, it won't bode well for the rest of you. Use the Batwave to contact me. I will help you solve them, if you can do it yourselves, then feel free to have a go."

"Up ahead," Raven pointed. "There it is!" The Gotham Bridge was rigged with explosives.

"How do we halt these explosives?" Starfire asked.

"We have to solve the riddles, Star, let's hope you're as lucky as you were in the museum."

"Do your best, Titans, if you need me, use the Batwave." Batman ended the communication.

"Alright, Batman," Cyborg said. He pulled the T Car to a stop at the Gotham Bridge.

Climbing out of the T Car, they scrambled down to where the bomb was. "Well, here's another riddle. Let's see what it says."

"_It is greater than God and more evil than the devil. The poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it you'll die. What is it?"  
_  
"Dude, what could be greater than God?" Beast Boy asked.

"I am not sure," Starfire replied. "I am sure there must be a logical answer to the puzzle."

"Something greater than the devil…Trigon?"

"No, duh, Trigon can't be greater than God, the poor don't have him and the rich don't need him. You definitely can't eat him, stupid!" Cyborg whacked Beast Boy's skull hard.

"Dude, that hurt!" he shouted angrily.

"When I am something, I am nothing…" Starfire began softly.

"What'd you say Star?" Cyborg asked.

"It was a part of the other riddle," she said simply.

"The answer is the word _nothing_," Raven said. It has to be nothing. Nothing is greater than God, nothing is more evil than the devil, the poor have nothing, the rich need nothing and if you eat nothing you'll die."

"Nice work, Titans," Batman's voice came over the Batwave. "I couldn't have done better myself."

"Thanks," Cyborg said. "Wait, there's something on the screen." He waited. Onscreen, the Riddler appeared.

"Very good, Teen Titans, I see you figured out my first riddle. "Now onto your next location. Solve this one and you should figure out where the next bomb is."

"_Another _riddle?" Beast Boy groaned. "What next?"

"_What always runs but never walks, often murmurs, never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?"_ The screen went blank.

"A river. It's a river. Gotham City Park," Batman's voice spoke through the Batwave.

"Dude, Gotham City has a river in the middle of a park?"

"Yes, we don't have time for solving every single riddle."

"You got that right, if we went at this pace, we could be out here all night."

"Quick, follow me to the park. I'll be watching but I can't be seen with you."

"Lead the way," Cyborg said.

"Does the Batman always have to deal with weirdoes like this?" Beast Boy asked.

"I think so," Raven said. "We don't have much time. We need to go."

Following the Bat Cycle to the Gotham City Park, Cyborg pulled the T Car to a halt.

"A park. Why would the Riddler want to blow up a park?" Beast Boy said, hopping out, he morphed into a bloodhound and began sniffing around. There was a gazebo filled with people sitting around enjoying some classical music.

"There it is!" Starfire said. She had spotted the explosive detonator that was rigged to the backside of the gazebo, hidden from plain sight.

"Come on, we need to be as quiet as possible. We don't want to alarm anyone." Cyborg motioned them forward.

"How do you know we won't set off the bomb?" Beast Boy asked.

"I have faith in friend Cyborg. We will dismantle it." Starfire stated confidently. The people sat calmly listening to the music. They were completely unaware of the danger they were in. "Should we warn them?"

"If we do, it will just cause unnecessary panic." Cyborg said.

"But what about the people?" Starfire asked.

"We'll just have to have faith that Cyborg and dismantle it," Raven said calmly.

"Dude, it's some kind of puzzle." Beast Boy frowned. "It looks kind of like a videogame. I could probably figure out this one."

"The way you play videogames, _please!_" Cyborg smirked. He began pushing the glowing square in the middle. Batman's voice suddenly rang through the Batwave.

"The button on the right…" and so began step-by-step instructions to dismantle the bomb. Beast Boy's teeth began chattering with nervousness while he bit his fingernails. After about a half an hour, they finished the puzzle.

"Excellent work, Teen Titans. I'm actually impressed." The Riddler said when they had finished.

"You'll be more impressed when we kick your butt!" Cyborg replied.

"Please, save your speech. I think it's about time you and your friends prove yourselves."

"Well where are you?" Cyborg demanded.

"I am somewhere, somewhere where things are destroyed and yet created. If you can find me, I will be waiting."

"The last bomb's at the recycling warehouse," the Batman's voice replied.

"Ah, Batman, I was waiting for you to show your face sooner or later."

"Hey, how did you know that he was—" Cyborg began.

"Why else would I send you and you're little friends on a wild goose chase? I wanted to distract the Batman. Knowledge is power don't you know that?"

"He's not even there he's at City Hall!" The Batman hissed.

"How do you know?" Raven asked.

"He's pulled this stunt before. You Titans should go shut down the bomb at the recycling warehouse. I'll find the Riddler."

"We'll be there as soon as we're done," Cyborg and the rest of the Titans ran or flew to the T Car. Soon they arrived at the factory. Rushing in they spotted the last explosive.

"_I am something that is needed by all, but never thought about. I am something essential to life but am completely taken for granted. What am I?"_

"We don't have time for this! Show us the answer!" Cyborg shouted.

"Dude, the air's so cold in here! Wait—the air! That's the answer! Punch it in, Dude." No one moved so Beast Boy typed in the answer. To his relief, the bomb dismantled itself. "Phew!" he breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're right of course," the Riddler's face appeared on a large screen. "Because that's what you'll be disappearing into!" The Riddler's voice said loudly as the floor began giving way. Starfire quickly grabbed Cyborg to keep him from falling through the floor, which suddenly gave way, revealing a bottomless chasm. Beast Boy morphed into a bird while Raven used her powers to lift off the floor.

"Come on, we have to get to City Hall! I should've known this was a trap!" The Titans ran back to the T Car and floored it to City Hall. Batman had given them directions.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dick Grayson sped back on the Bat Cycle towards Gotham City Hall. He figured out what the Riddler's plan was. He was downloading the information from the city's computer system. He had tried it before but he had been foiled by Bruce and Detective Yin. Why he would try it again, Dick had no clue.

He pulled up to City Hall. If he remembered correctly where to find the Riddler, he should have no trouble. 15 minutes later, the Titans pulled up in the T Car. "What happened?"

"The last riddle was booby-trapped!" Cyborg said. "The floor collapsed on us."

"I see. I'm glad you made it out." Batman looked at them. "Follow me, the Riddler's close."

He led them to a strange building. Ducking into the air vents, he motioned for them to follow. "Beware of the Riddler's Question Cane, it gives of energy blasts. He's also armed with gas pellets so be careful. He can put you to sleep before you know what hit you." The Titans nodded.

Dropping down to the floor, they waited. True to his word, there stood the Riddler in his hideout, hand on his Question Cane. "Welcome, Teen Titans. I am honored to finally meet such brilliant minds in person."

"See, he says I'm brilliant," Beast Boy said, looking at Raven smugly.

"A dork like him would call you brilliant," she replied. Beast Boy glared at her.

"Batman, how nice of you to drop by," The Riddler said.

"Enough games, Riddler. I know what you want, and I'm here to stop you!" Batman said, readying a Bat-a-Rang.

"What about them?"

"Us too," Cyborg said. "Teen Titans, Go!" The Titans rushed the Riddler. The Riddler smiled and twirled his Question Cane, sending a blast of energy in their direction. The Titans dodged and Batman joined the fray, kicking the Riddler.

Cyborg met another blast from the Question Cane with his own from his Sonic Cannon. The energies ricocheted off one another, bouncing all across the room. The Titans avoided them.

Cyborg met the Riddler head on, punching hard; the robotic Titan smashed his fist at the criminal mastermind. The Riddler ducked one blow and evaded another. He struck out with his Question Cane, which didn't do more than dent Cyborg's metal body.

Starfire flew overhead, sending a hailstorm of Starbolts at him. One sent him sprawling across the room. Scrambling to his feet, he blasted Starfire with his Question Cane; she used her Starbolts to deflect them, while swooping in low to avoid others.

"Tell me something," the Batman said as he evaded the blasts from the Question Cane.

"What would that be?" the Riddler asked.

"What's green and black and blue all over?" he said as he smashed a fist into the criminal's face.

"It doesn't matter," The Riddler hissed. "What matters is you. Are you single? Are you married? Are you wealthy? Are you wise? The identity of the Batman is the greatest riddle of them all!"

"You'll just have to contemplate that while you play shuffleboard in Arkham," The Batman said, flipping back, he spun kicked the green clad villain hard. Raven moved behind him.

"We'll put and end to your riddles soon enough. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Her black aura shot forth, seizing large chunks of the wall and hurling them at him. The Riddler managed to dodge the first but was pulverized by the second. Stunned, he staggered back.

Beast Boy morphed into a lion and slashed at the Riddler. He dodged only to be blasted by a Starbolt. Raven used her powers to pick him up and throw him at the Batman, who kicked him across the room. Removing a Bat-a-Rang, he hurled it at him, pinning him against the wall. Raven used her powers to make sure he stayed there. The Riddler tried to use a gas pellet but it was yanked away from him by Raven's powers.

Just then, a team of thugs burst into the room. Beast Boy morphed into a T Rex; roaring loudly, he sent them running. Cyborg blasted them with his Sonic Cannon as they tried to flee, and Starfire blocked their path, Starbolts ready to fly, terrified, they surrendered. Soon the Police arrived and placed them all in custody.

"Enjoy shuffleboard in Arkham," the Batman said as he vanished from sight before the Titans or the Riddler could say anything. The Titans were talking to Detective Yin and Commissioner Gordon, so they didn't see him as he slipped away.

"Thanks for your help tonight," Detective Yin said. "Listen, as long as you guys are in Gotham, we'll take all the help we can get, just ignore Chief Rojas. Any questions, take it up with Commissioner Gordon."

"You're welcome. But you should thank the Batman. Hey, where'd he go?" Cyborg looked around. But Dick Grayson, the Batman was long gone. Speeding off towards Wayne Manor, Dick Grayson felt he was ready for the task of being the Batman, and with his friends in Gotham he felt his job would be much easier, even if they had at first challenged his authority and disobeyed his orders to stay in Jump City.

He hadn't realized how hard it had been for Bruce, working alone mostly by himself in his crusade to keep Gotham safe. But Dick was different, he had a team, and they would help him take on whatever challenge ahead of them. He was secretly proud of his team. But he had to hide away from them, until the time was right.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five **

"Master Dick," Alfred's voice said loudly in Dick Grayson's ears, "It's time to get up. It's 11 in the morning." Alfred Pennyworth's recent return from the hospital was a welcome one to Dick Grayson. Now he had a companion and ally in his campaign to fight crime in Gotham. Alfred, for the most part was his normal, chipper self, save for the arm splint he wore.

He had resumed his position as the caretaker and butler of Wayne Manor rather quickly. His injuries, although serious, weren't grave enough for him to have to remain at the hospital. Instead the doctors had sent him home the day that Dick Grayson took up the mantle of the Batman.

"Let me sleep, Alfred," Dick groaned beneath the sheets. "I'm very tired."

"Normally Robin would be wide awake for training practice," Alfred commented.

"Robin wakes up for training practice, but Dick Grayson wants to sleep in," Dick pulled the covers over himself and rolled onto his side.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you sleep Sir, but you are needed at Wayne Tower for a meeting concerning Wayne Industries/Enterprises."

"Oh, okay then," Dick forced himself to remain awake. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Yes Sir, Master Bruce was supposed to host a charity dinner at the Gotham Children's Hospital. Since he can't make it he requests you go in his stead."

"Alfred, you know I'm not the hosting dinner party type person," Dick protested.

"I'm sorry Sir but this was planned long in advance and for weeks now, and to not have _someone_ who represents the Wayne family there would be very bad for Master Bruce's reputation."

"But why me?"

"You are the heir of Wayne Industries Sir; you represent Master Bruce when he is unavailable, besides; it would draw unnecessary attention if you didn't show up, with the press coverage of your return and all."

"Okay, okay, I'll do it," Dick conceded. "What time's the dinner?"

"Tonight at seven, it should last only a few hours," Alfred answered simply. "And by the way, Mr. Lucius Fox wishes to see you when you arrive at Wayne Tower."

"Oh really, what for?" Dick asked curiously.

"I believe it had to do with research and development in Wayne Enterprises' scientific department."

"I see, well I'll meet with him right away, being the CEO of Wayne Enterprises must keep him busy." Robin got up and washed his face. Returning to his room he saw that Alfred had set out his clothes for the day. He put on the suit and tied his bow tie and lathered his hair in his favorite gel. Combing it back, he looked at himself in the mirror.

Alfred walked into the room. "How do I look Alfred?" he asked.

"Sharp as a pin, Sir," Alfred replied.

"Thanks," replied Dick with sincere gratitude.

"Breakfast is in the dining room, Sir," Alfred gestured to the room downstairs. "Just come down when you're ready."

"I look and feel ridiculous!" Dick admitted with a laugh.

"The CEOs at Wayne Enterprises will hardly think so," Alfred said. "They're expecting you to be like Master Wayne and handle all his affairs with grace, style and professionalism."

"Okay…" Dick said hesitantly. "Professionalism, I think I can do this." He went out and ate a hardy breakfast of eggs, bacon and hash browns.

"I've really missed your cooking, Alfred."

"Why thank you Sir," Alfred replied, flattered.

"At least you don't burn the food like Beast Boy does."

"I try not to Sir," Alfred laughed. Finishing breakfast, Dick went out to a nondescript motorcycle and drove to Wayne Tower.

Arriving at the building, Richard Grayson walked inside with confidence in his stride and determination in his eyes. He stopped by the receptionist's desk and announced that he was there for the board meeting. She told him to go right on in and that he was expected.

Arriving at the boardroom, he saw a smiling Lucius Fox waiting for him. "Mr. Grayson, we're happy to see that you have finally returned. How was your business venture in Jump City?"

"My business venture? I'm not quite sure what you mean…" Dick tried to cover his confusion. Lucius looked puzzled.

"Oh, Bruce said you were handling the affairs of Wayne Enterprises in Jump City, this is true, correct?"

"Yes it was, it's just been awhile since I've been back in the area," Dick Grayson realized what Bruce meant by "business venture", it was a cover up for him to be able to lead the Teen Titans and not be missed in Gotham.

"As you probably well know, there has been much debate and discussion on whether or not Wayne Industries/Enterprises should go public—"

"As Mr. Wayne has previously stated, he does not wish that the company his Father Thomas Wayne founded to go public. I respect Bruce's wishes on this matter and I do _not _grant permission to let this company to be liquidated."

"But, Mr. Grayson—" one of the CEO's began to protest.

"I have stated Bruce Wayne's wishes, and he does not want this company auctioned off to the greedy money grubbers that control Gotham."

"Now, Mr. Grayson, that's a little harsh," the man protested.

"No it isn't. I have made my decision. If anyone has any arguments, they can take it up with me later. And if you disagree with _Mr. Wayne's _wishes you can go to the Gotham Memorial Hospital and you can speak with him personally. Gotham has its share of greedy, power hungry individuals who would love to get their hands on Wayne Industries/Enterprises. Neither Mr. Wayne, nor I will let that happen." The man sat down.

"I do see your point in that," the man said.

"Thank you, Mr. Frederic's. Does anyone else have any questions for me?"

"No, but I would like to see you after the meeting to discuss some developments in my R and D in the science and tech labs of Wayne Industries/Enterprises."

"Of course, Lucius, I would be glad to see any new developments you've discovered. This meeting is adjourned." The CEOs got up from their seats and began filing out of the room, murmuring softly.

"Is Grayson crazy? He can't throw his authority around like that, we're his CEOs! We're supposed to help him make decisions, not just sit there and let him do whatever he wants with his company!" another man whispered loud enough for him to hear.

"Quiet man!" Mr. Frederic's whispered back. "Mr. Grayson represents Mr. Wayne's interests in these matters, so what he says goes!"

Dick Grayson caught up to Lucius Fox as the elderly CEO of Wayne Industries/Enterprises began the conversation. "So how is that equipment I gave you, is it enough for your spelunking?"

"Spelunking?" Dick asked.

"Your 'extreme sports' as you call it," Lucius leaned in close to Dick and lowered his voice. "I know what you do, I'm not ignorant, you know."

"What?"

"I know what you do, I've kept Bruce's secret as I keep yours, don't worry; it's safe with me."

"How did you know?"

"Well Bruce disappeared for seven years, showed up and asked for the equipment. When I saw the first appearances of the Batman, I put two and two together. Besides, it's hard for a man not to recognize equipment he researched and developed for over seven years."

"So, you'll be able to help me?"

"If you ever need anything mass produced for any reason at all, I can pass it through, no questions asked."

"Thank you, Mr. Fox."

"No, _thank you_ Mr. Grayson, and do be careful."

"I will, Lucius, I will."

* * *

Dick Grayson made his way to the Gotham Police Department. He walked inside and waited for someone to notice him. "I'm here to see Commissioner Jim Gordon."

Commissioner Jim Gordon looked at the young boy with a broad smile as he walked into the room. "I heard you were back in town…because of Bruce and all."

"I've come back to make sure things are running smoothly," Dick Grayson admitted. "I actually came to see you to ask about what you know about who's behind this."

"Well, we know it was Bane who attacked Bruce in Wayne Manor. His motive why, he said it was because Bruce Wayne was the Batman, but why would the Batman be Bruce? It's not Bruce's style to run around in spandex tights and fight crime. It's just too incredible."

Dick looked thoughtful, "Do you believe him?"

"Hardly, the Batman was spotted in Gotham last night. Bruce Wayne is still recovering in the hospital. If Bruce Wayne was the Batman, there wouldn't have been a Batman sighting."

"How do you know this Batman sighting was legit?" Dick Grayson asked. It seemed he had returned just in the nick of time, before someone figured out Bruce was really the Batman.

"Detective Yin confirmed it," Commissioner Gordon replied. "It's him alright; the Batman is someone else, not Bruce Wayne."

Dick Grayson let out an inward sigh of relief. His ploy had worked, "So have you caught Bane yet?"

"No, we're working on it, Detective Yin's got a few good leads," Commissioner Gordon smiled. "Just let me know if you need anything, son; I'll help you find him."

"Thanks, this means a lot Commissioner," Dick Grayson got up to leave. "Thank you for your time."

"Don't worry about it." Commissioner Gordon walked out to his office as Dick Grayson left the building. A cell phone he had brought with him from Wayne Manor began to ring. "Hello, this is Grayson."

"Mr. Grayson, I was wondering if you might wish to come see my new improvements on the prototype for the Tumbler," it was Lucius Fox.

"But Mr. Fox, you gave me a Tumbler earlier this week." Dick Grayson said with a note of curiosity in his voice.

"I know, these new improvements can be added onto the existing model. The army still can't afford it and we're trying out prototypes for now."

"I'll be right there." He drove straight to Wayne Tower and headed for the Science and Technologies Research and Development Labs. He saw Mr. Fox waiting for him as promised.

"Mr. Grayson, I'm glad you made it," Lucius Fox smiled. He gestured to the hulking vehicle before him. This is a modified version of the Tumbler, the finest I've ever assembled…" he began to show Dick Grayson the modified engines and weapon systems, the advanced tires and GPS system. "All this can be added to the model I gave you. Of course, I'll have to bring the parts by Wayne Manor."

"That's fine, Lucius, just drop them off and I'll get them."

"Well, I guess you better be going, I heard about that Charity dinner Bruce was supposed to be at."

"I think I should, thanks for the update," Dick said gratefully.

"You're welcome." Dick Grayson turned and left.

* * *

"Dude, we so kicked Riddler's butt last night, that was almost too easy," Gar Logan said as he came out of the hotel bathroom fully dressed.

"You call driving all over Gotham City looking for crazy riddles _easy_?" Cyborg asked skeptically. "You obviously have never been here before."

"Come on, Dude, it can't be that bad can it?" Beast Boy asked.

"Oh yeah, it is, and if you thought the Riddler was psychotic, you haven't met the Joker." Cyborg said as he slipped on his holographic rings to hide his robotic appearance.

There was a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" Beast Boy shouted. Answering the door he saw Raven and Starfire standing there."

"Hello Friend Garfield, did you sleep well?" Kory asked.

"Sure did, and you?"

"It was glorious," Kory said. "Raven and I have had our rest."

"And I think it's time we eat some breakfast," Cyborg said. "Do you guys want me to get you anything, they have a breakfast bar downstairs."

"Some herbal tea," Raven said quietly.

"I don't think herbal tea is on the menu, I think it's just coffee."

"Fine," Raven said as she sat down on a chair in the boy's hotel room.

"How do you think we will find Robin?" Kory asked.

"I'm not sure, but we will look for him, but we need to contact the Batman so he can tell us where Robin is," Cyborg replied. "I'm going to get breakfast, I'll be back soon."

"I wonder how Robin did it for so long, fighting crime and knowing that these psychos always manage to escape even though he and Batman put them away," Raven wondered.

"I don't know, but now I know why he wants to take criminals down the way he does; did you see how Batman fought the Riddler?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yes, he's a vicious fighter, Robin learned from a great man."

Cyborg came back with breakfast, eggs and bacon for himself, Raven and Kory, a bowl fruit for Gar. "Hey, what's that you got there?"

"The _Gotham Insider_, it says that Dick Grayson's hosting a charity dinner for the Gotham Children's Hospital. Since Bruce Wayne's been hurt, he's hosting it for him."

"Okay, why's this important?" Gar asked.

"It's important because Robin, when he lived in Gotham, he protected Wayne Enterprises, he basically worked for Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson."

"So Dude, you're saying this Dick Grayson guy might know where Robin is since he worked for him, right?" Gar asked.

"Exactly," Vic said.

"So how do we find Dick Grayson?" Gar asked.

"Easy enough, we show up at that charity dinner as guests," Vic explained.

"Um, can we do that?"

"It says in the _Gotham Insider_ that all guests are welcome and you just have to buy a ticket."

"So what will we do in the meantime?" Kory asked.

"That's easy, Kory. We go sightseeing." The Titans finished breakfast and Victor told the receptionist as the front desk they would return later that evening. Piling into the car, they began driving around, seeing what Gotham had to offer.

"There's the subway station," Cyborg said as they drove by large buildings with tracks leading away from them.

"It was built by Dr. Thomas Wayne as a way to give back to the City that had given him so much wealth. It was completed before his untimely murder," Raven explained. Kory looked startled.

"Murder? What happened to him?" Kory asked.

"The Wayne family was returning from an opera, and a man came and demanded money and jewelry, Dr. Wayne gave him the money, he didn't move fast enough with the jewelry and so, the man who's name was Joe Chill, shot him dead, a long with his wife, in front of their seven year old boy."

"That is so…horrible; it is incomprehensible what one must feel if one were to lose one's parents in such a manner. Did they find this Joe Chill?" Kory asked.

"Yes, they caught him, and sentenced him to 14 years in prison."

"For murdering two people, his sentence should've been double that!" Gar protested. "That's almost a slap on the wrist, Dude, that's not justice, that guy shoulda gotten the death penalty."

"You believe that Gar?" Kory asked.

"Yes, to see your parents murdered like that, anyone who would do that deserves to die," Gar said quietly. "Anyway Raven, what happened."

"Carmine Falcone was a well known crime boss back then; Joe Chill was going to give them information about Falcone to make his prison sentence shorter."

"That's a rip off," Gar Logan muttered.

"Anyway, Joe Chill is leaving the courtroom surrounded by press when this lady comes up to him and says "Falcone says hi," then she shoots him dead before he leaves the courthouse."

"Whoa," Gar said. "So what does this have to do with Dick Grayson?"

"Bruce Wayne adopted Dick Grayson after the Flying Graysons were murdered."

"How were they murdered?" Gar asked.

"They fell to their death…after someone removed the screws on the trapeze rigging and it flew off while they were performing their act…" Raven became thoughtful, "No, no, it couldn't be Robin, no."

"What did you say Raven?" Victor asked.

"Remember when Robin said he saw Slade? When he kept fighting someone who wasn't there? Do you remember when I asked him to let me see Slade?"

"Yeah," Victor nodded. "You said that he definitely saw Slade and the he was very real to him."

"Yes, but I saw other things…things I didn't tell you about."

"Like what?" Victor asked.

"I saw…a cave filled with bats and Robin's shadow in the light of a candle…but there was one more thing I saw, I saw a two parents fall to their deaths from a high wire trapeze."

"Dude, Raven are you saying that our Robin is _Dick Grayson?_ The adopted son of that party boy, Bruce Wayne?" Gar asked. "I mean, what you saw seems to prove it."

"But one vision's not enough to prove our Robin is Dick Grayson, and don't call Bruce Wayne a party boy, he's done a lot of good here," Raven said adamantly. "There were a lot of people at Haly Circus. Robin could have been in the audience for all we know," Raven said. It didn't make sense for their Robin to be Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson was a rich kid, and a "party boy" Gar called him. He didn't need to be Robin; he had no motive to do so. Well, it seemed too coincidental.

"Well we'll find out soon enough, first we have to meet Dick Grayson at this dinner party."

"Wait just a minute Dude, isn't this a _fancy_ dinner party?" Gar Logan asked.

"I think so," Vic frowned thoughtful.

"We don't _have_ any fancy clothes," Gar pointed out.

"That's easy, we can rent nice clothes from somewhere," Vic said. "Speaking of time, that dinner starts at seven and its 2:30. We should probably start looking for clothes."

"But what will you wear, Victor?" Kory asked.

"I can adjust my holographic rings so it looks like I'm wearing different clothes," Victor explained. "That way no one knows I'm half robot."

"That is good," Kory smiled. Now to the clothing store of shopping to find fitting attire."

For the next two-and-a-half hours the four Teen Titans browsed the fancy suit shops for rental clothes that they could wear for the charity dinner. Eventually, they all found something, except Victor who could create his own holograms of extremely believable, realistic clothing. Kory found something very much like the Prom dress she had worn when she danced with Robin at the DATE WITH DESTINY DANCE, Raven had a very gothic looking dress and Gar had a purple tuxedo.

It was five o' clock, and they had two hours to kill. "So guys, what should we do now?" Gar asked.

"I don't know, we should probably make our way towards," Raven paused for a moment, "where did you say this charity dinner is being held?" she asked Victor.

"The Gotham Children's Hospital," Raven answered.

"We should probably get going; wow, look at the traffic!" Victor exclaimed as cars, vans, and trucks clogged the teeming roads of Gotham City. "We should have left earlier."

It was a long hour of bumper to bumper traffic. Victor was grinding his teeth with impatience while Gar was unsuccessfully trying to humor the girls by telling corny jokes. Finally, they arrived at the Gotham Children's Hospital. They were all surprised by how many cars were in the parking lot.

Climbing out, Kory noticed a peculiar man making his way towards the door. He was very fat, wore a fancy suit and carried an umbrella. He had a very sarcastic, rude disposition about him and Kory immediately disliked him. He went through the door, impolitely slamming the door behind him.

The Titans walked up to a small makeshift ticket booth where a man was collecting money from the guests. They paid for their tickets and walked towards the door. Kory noticed that the fat, rude man had no such ticket with him.

Victor walked up to the door and held it open for his friend and a man who was walking towards the door. "Thank you, young man," he said.

"Your welcome Mr…?"

"Fries, Dr. Victor Fries," the man said politely. Victor noted that the air seemed colder around him for some strange reason. He put the thought out of his head and followed his friends inside. Taking seats set up in the hospital cafeteria. Victor was surprised at how man children were present. The tickets weren't cheap but they weren't ridiculously expensive either. He knew the families of the children were paying medical bills and he wondered how they could afford it.

Sitting down, he leaned over and tapped a woman on the shoulder. "Excuse me, I have a question." The woman turned around to face him and Victor nearly betrayed his shock. It was Detective Yin! What was she doing here?

"What would that be?" she politely asked.

"Why are all the children here?"

"Bruce Wayne has generously paid for their tickets, he wants them to be here so others can see what he's raising money for. The thing is, he can't make it tonight, so Dick Grayson's hosting the dinner, he's still in his room recovering. He may contact us by video, though."

"Thank you," Victor said, turning back to his friends. He whispered to his friends, "Detective Yin's here!"

"Whoa! How did _she_ get here?" Gar asked.

"Must have bought a ticket," Victor shrugged.

"Did you notice the fat, rude man who slammed the door when he walked in?" Kory asked.

"I did, that Dude doesn't need another dinner party, he looks like he ate a whole buffet already!" Gar laughed.

"Let's hope he didn't hear you," Raven muttered. It was seven o' clock; they spotted a young man walk in wearing a black tuxedo and a tie. It was Dick Grayson.

He wasn't like anyone they had seen before, his sky blue eyes held an intensity that they couldn't explain. He wasn't exactly the macho muscular type but he was strong in a different sense of the word, a nonphysical strength, an emotional power he exuberated that caught their attention.

He walked up to the podium and waited for the dinner guests to turn their attention to him. The room soon quieted as all eyes riveted their attention on him.

"Welcome," Dick Grayson began. "I'm glad you all could make it. As you can see, Mr. Bruce Wayne is not here tonight. He is recovering at the other hospital from his injuries he sustained when he was attacked by Bane."

He paused for a moment; then continued. "Since he could not be here with us tonight, I have come here to 'hold down the fort' as it were, in his absence. Besides, I can't think of anything better than raising money for a good cause." _Actually I can, taking down Bane, but I can't say that can I? _He thought as he tried to continue his speech.

The guests applauded for a few minutes, waiting it out, he decided to close it off so he could get out of there as soon as possible. Then it dawned on him that he might have to stay awhile as to not draw attention to himself. He groaned inwardly, but he continued speaking, "So please enjoy yourselves tonight. If there are any problems, just let me know." He stepped down as they applauded; he made his way towards a corner, scanning the faces of the crowd.

He noticed his friends sitting next to the table where Detective Yin sat. He figured they were there looking for Robin. He wondered if they linked the fact that he was Robin so quickly. If he got the chance to speak to them, he as sure he would find out.

Gar, Raven, Victor and Kory all enjoyed the dinner. Whoever catered the food had excellent cooks. Fortunately, there was enough salad and veggies to satisfy Gar, who complained that eating meat was an abomination to the animal kingdom.

"Friend Victor, I have a question," Kory began.

"What's that Kory?" Vic asked.

"Why did I not see any obvious criminal activity? Gotham is notorious for its criminals and crime but I did not see a lot of it during the day, why?"

"Well, Gotham's known for its crimes because they mainly take place at night. Although there's plenty of it during the day; I'm surprised we didn't actually see any of it."

"Thank you Victor, I am going to go up for seconds," Kory Anders rose from her seat to go get something to eat.

She had quietly gone up for seconds, standing patiently in the eternally long food line when she was rudely butted out of the line by the fat, impolite man she had seen slamming the entrance door before they had come in.

"I am sorry, but I believe that was my place in line," she said in a polite tone to the fat man.

"We Cobblepots are the richest family in Gotham, naturally the richest should be first in line," the man who had called himself "Cobblepot" said indignantly.

"But I thought Bruce Wayne was the richest man in Gotham," Kory said, puzzled.

"That's what a lot of people say, kid."

"Still, I insist that I have my place in line," Kory insisted with equal indignation. "Just because you are rich does not mean you have to be rude!" The man called Cobblepot whirled around to face her. His face was a dangerous shade of red.

"Now listen to me, you little brat, if I want to take your place in line, I can! Now get out of my way!" He raised his umbrella as if to strike her, Vic, Raven and Gar jumped up from there places, ready to rush to her aid. Suddenly, she saw a hand reach out and touch Cobblepot's shoulder.

"Oswald Cobblepot, what a _pleasant_ surprise," Dick Grayson said in a voice that was very sarcastic. "Enjoying the dinner?"

"It doesn't matter, Grayson!" Cobblepot snapped.

"Is something going on here?" Dick Grayson asked.

"He butted me out of the line," Kory admitted.

"That's very rude, you know," Dick Grayson said. "By the way, where is your ticket Cobblepot? A man as _respectable _as yourself should be happy to donate to a good cause." Kory noted the extreme amount of sarcasm when he said the word "respectable".

"I don't need a ticket, Grayson; I can do whatever I want!" Oswald Cobblepot snarled angrily.

"Oh, so you didn't pay a ticket. I'm going to have to ask you to leave, and don't I don't want to catch you bothering her again."

"Or you'll what? Call the cops on me? What else could you do? Fight me yourself? Who do you think you are, Robin the Boy Blunder?" For a moment the two men locked gazes.

There was fire in Dick Grayson's eyes as he said, "Get out. If you don't leave peaceably, I'll have security escort you out."

Kory saw Cobblepot back down. Snarling, he said, "Fine Grayson, but you haven't seen the last of Oswald Cobblepot!" He turned around and stormed out of the room, huffing angrily.

"Are you alright, Ms…?" he asked politely. He had no idea what name she would use to cover up her identity as Starfire.

"Kory Anders," she said, taking his hand in a firm handshake. "You must be Dick Grayson, whom I have heard many things about."

"Well, I hope they were good things," Dick Grayson laughed. "Do you live here?"

"No, I live in Jump City, I am just here to sightsee and I am looking for someone."

"Oh, and who would that be?" he asked, although he knew the answer immediately.

"It can wait, I wish for you to meet my friends," she led him over to a nearby table where very familiar faces awaited him. Cyborg, he knew was probably using his technology to cover his robotic parts. Beast Boy looked the same, although he nearly laughed out loud at his purple tuxedo. Raven looked very normal in her Gothic clothing. Although Dick Grayson was surprised at how stunning Starfire, "Kory Anders" looked in her dress. It reminded him of the time they'd danced together at the DATE WITH DESTINY Prom dance.

"Mr. Grayson, I would like to introduce you to Victor "Vic" Stone, Garfield "Gar" Logan and Raven Roth."

"It's nice to meet all of you," he shook their hands. It seemed odd to be introduced to his best friends, but he didn't let it show. "Kory tells me you're here looking for someone. Who is it?"

"Robin," Kory said simply. "He came back and we wish to find him."

"He came back, did he? Hmm…well I haven't seen him. If I find him I'll let you know." He turned to leave. "It was nice meeting all of you." He left. Victor gave Kory an angry look.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked, confused by her friend's anger.

"You told him why we were here!" Victor asked angrily.

"He seems trustworthy," Kory protested. "I do not think that he would tell anyone else."

"You can't trust anyone here, Kory! Don't you get it? Gotham's very dangerous and many people, who say good things, do not always do good things, a lot of people here are liars and all they care about is themselves!"

Unbeknownst to Victor, Dick Grayson stood a short distance away, listening to the entire conversation. He felt angry that his friend should think he was a liar. When the time came to tell him the truth he would set him straight about it.

"I believe he is good, and I believe Mr. Bruce Wayne is also good," Kory said simply. "You should not judge a person just because they have a lot of money."

"I'm not saying Dick Grayson's bad, Kory. I'm just saying that you have to be careful about what you say to other people. Just then, Dick Grayson began calling for the guests' attention.

"Bruce Wayne wishes to speak with all of you in gratitude for what you have done," Dick Grayson said as he pushed a button on a remote that turned on a large television set.

"Hello Ladies and Gentlemen. I can't talk long, I'm sorry, I'm just too exhausted. For those who were wondering how I am, well, I'm recovering to say the least. I want to thank Dick Grayson for hosting the charity dinner for me. I've heard that it was a great success. So I thank you all and I hope next time I will be able to be with you in person." The screen went blank as the audience applauded.

Dick Grayson made his way out of the room and pushing a button on the Batwave, he summoned the motorcycle to him. He snuck into the bathroom and changed into his Batman uniform. It was going to be a long, hard night. He hoped his friends would find him again. He greatly appreciated their help and if Oswald Cobblepot, the Penguin was going to take out his anger on someone, it would be the Batman. He knew the Penguin was very dangerous. But he knew that he and the Titans could take him down.


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six **

Straddling his motorcycle, Dick Grayson, kept a lookout for the Kabuki Twins, Penguins two silent henchwomen. He tried to think of something that would tickle Penguin's fancy to steal. "Alfred, has there been any recent artifact additions to the museum that Penguin would be interested in?"

"I'm trying to think of something Sir," Alfred replied. "Actually, there is something…"

"What is it?" Dick Grayson, the Batman asked.

"A pair of solid gold eggs from the orient," Alfred said.

"That Penguin always did have a hankering for the expensive; I suppose he wanted to sit on these."

"Indeed, Sir," Alfred said.

"I better get to the museum before he waddles out with those gold eggs," Dick frowned as he prepared to floor it towards the Gotham Natural History Museum.

"I agree, Sir, let's hope you can take him by yourself."

"I have my friends with me, Alfred," Dick Grayson said into the communicator.

"Of course, they don't know it's you they're helping," Alfred said simply.

"I haven't told them yet," Dick admitted.

"And what if you are hurt Sir?" Alfred asked; a note of concern in his voice.

"Don't worry; I can get to Dr. Leslie Tompkins if I need medical attention. Besides, Raven's powers can help me a lot too."

"Very good, Sir," There's been a rumor that the Penguin will try to create a plausible alibi for himself by stopping by his club, the Iceberg Lounge for awhile, just so he can say where he was if the police or you catch him."

"I see, so I'll have to nab him before he gets out of his club to go to the museum," Dick nodded. "Is there anything else I should know, Alfred?"

"Yes, indeed there is Sir; there is a pass phrase to get inside Oswald Cobblepot's opulently exclusive nightclub. Hopefully there will be plenty of…shall we say, uh gentlemen who would be happy to give you the pass phrase."

"Oh, you mean the scumbags who come to Oswald's 'club' for more than just entertainment? I'm sure they'll be in the mood to talk then." Dick Grayson chuckled. "I should first contact the Titans, and let them know what's going on. No need to leave old friends in the dark."

"That would be an excellent idea. If you go in as Batman, I'm sure strength in numbers would help."

"Thank you, Alfred."

"Always a pleasure to assist you, Sir; one might think that you enjoy this," Alfred signed off. Dick Grayson punched in the signal for the Titans communicator.

"Teen Titans, this is the Batman, I'm going to need your help. Where are you?" he asked, in the voice Bruce Wayne used as the Dark Knight. Over the years he had become an expert in mimicking the voices of others. He could even do an excellent impression of the Joker, but very few people knew that.

"We're leaving the Gotham Children's Hospital. We came for the charity dinner," Cyborg's voice replied.

"Meet me at a nightclub called the Iceberg Lounge. The Penguin's going to pull of some kind of heist tonight and we're going to stop him. I'll send you the coordinates so you can find me."

"Actually, you don't need to, we've spotted you already," Cyborg said. The Titans were standing below him. If his friends would have seen his face they would have seen his shock, but they didn't. Starfire flew up, Cyborg in tow, followed by Raven and Beast Boy.

"So Batman, what's going on?" Cyborg asked.

"The Penguin's planning a heist of two solid gold eggs from the Natural History Museum tonight. He's planning to make himself an alibi by spending time at his nightclub the Iceberg Lounge."

"Oh I see," Cyborg said. "So you want us to infiltrate the club and help you take the Penguin down."

"Yes, but it's not that easy, I have a reliable source that says I need a pass phrase to get inside."

"Okay," Cyborg said. "How do we get this pass phrase?"

"It's easy, we have to find somebody who'll squeal," Batman said. "Follow me and I'll take you to there."

"So, this Penguin has some kind of bird fetish, if I remember all the stories I've heard," Raven frowned.

"He's obsessed with them," Batman said simply. "He calls himself a 'reformed' villain. He has style and class, or so he claims. He's as dangerous as he is sophisticated. Beware of his umbrella, it holds many unwanted surprises."

"I understand, Batman," Starfire said, making sure to say the Dark Knight's name correctly. "We shall be careful of the Penguin."

"Dude, we can handle this, it can't be worse than the Amazing Mumbo, right?"

_Oh Beast Boy, you do not know how much worse he is,_ Dick Grayson thought as he looked at each of his friends.

"Do not take the Penguin lightly; he's more dangerous than he looks. And his assistants are just as deadly."

"His assistants?" Raven asked dryly.

"The Kabuki Twins, his silent but deadly henchwoman, they're deadly martial artists and extremely dangerous."

"Anything else we should like to know?" Cyborg asked.

"They've got razor sharp nails," Batman said dryly in an unemotional voice.

"Oh joy," Raven muttered.

* * *

Soon the Teen Titans and Batman stood lurking in the dark alley outside the Iceberg Lounge. They watched as various individuals. "Fancy place," Cyborg muttered as Batman motioned the Teen Titans forward, the silently crept closer to the front door, a man's words soon became clear. 

"Listen, it's me Carlton Duquesne, the Penguin knows who I am. Let me in! I need to see him!" the man called Carton Duquesne said angrily.

"Listen mister, without that pass phrase we don't know you from Adam. I'm not gonna let you in unless you say the magic words!" the voice on the intercom said and shut off. Carlton stomped away angrily.

"I thought I'd never see the day that one of Gotham's Mob Bosses shut out of a nightclub," Batman smirked. "This will work to our advantage. Titans, do you think you could help me get him away from the crowds?"

"Sure," Cyborg said. "But what about armed guards, escorts?"

"Leave them to me, they won't be a problem," Batman said. "Let's just wait until he's farther away from the building."

"Understood," Starfire whispered.

"If you all will excuse me," Batman said as he seemed to vanish into thin air.

"Where did he go?" Starfire asked.

"I'm sure he has a plan," Cyborg said. "We'll just follow his lead now." He watched as Batman pulled a grappling hook from his utility belt and grappled himself onto a nearby rooftop. He crept silently across the roof near the crime boss, who was muttering angrily to himself. His three bodyguards walked silently beside him. Batman looked over at the Titans and gestured for them to follow him.

Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy flew silently over to the roof where he was. Cyborg used a built in grappling hook to join them. "If we can disarm the guards before Carlton knows what's going on we can get him to talk."

"But why do we need to get him to talk?" Cyborg asked. "He doesn't know the pass phrase we need to get into the club."

"I don't get it either," Beast Boy said. "Why do all the work when he doesn't have what we need?"

"I want to send a message to the criminal underworld of Gotham. I want them to know that this city does not belong to the criminal or the corrupt. I'm telling them that I'm not finished yet!"

The Titans nodded. "So they actually think you're gone for good? What would make them think that?" Raven asked.

"It's a long story," Batman whispered. "I'll tell you some other time. Right now we have more important things to attend to."

"So what's the plan?" Cyborg asked.

"Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy, will you three nab the guards?" he asked. They nodded.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Raven said. "They won't even see us coming."

"Good. Cyborg, you organize your end and I'll handle the rest." Batman quickly disappeared.

"I have an idea," Cyborg muttered under his breath. "We'll pick them off when they reach the darker part of that alley. They're not there yet so that gives us enough time to get in position. Teen Titans, go!" he whispered as Starfire and Raven took their positions on both sides of the street. Beast Boy morphed into a butterfly and flew quickly to a hiding place a little farther from where Raven and Starfire were stationed.

Carlton Duquesne was talking on a cell phone, engrossed in conversation. "Can you believe the Penguin refuses to let me into his Iceberg Lounge? Doesn't he know I have friends in high places? He can't make me be his errand boy. I have more important things than him to worry about—"

Cyborg gave the signal and Starfire, Beast Boy and Raven moved with lightning quick speed. Raven used her powers to grab a bodyguard and slam him into the wall before he could call out for help. Starfire quickly snatched the other guard, pulling him into the air and knocking him unconscious. Beast Boy morphed into a gorilla and smashed the final bodyguard over the head and morphing into and eagle he swooped into the air before Duquesne could react.

"Huh? What the heck is going on—?" he looked up as the enormous shape of the Batman loomed over him from above. He suddenly swooped down and grabbed him by his shirt, holding him above him.

"Hello Duquesne, remember me?" he asked the wide eyed, terrified Mob Boss.

"The Batman! What do you want? I don't know anything! I'm of no use to you!" Carlton sputtered out.

"That's funny," Batman smirked as he slammed his fist into his stomach and head butted him. "I believe you! Give your fellow mobsters this message. "I'm not finished yet!" Tell them the Batman sent you, and after you do, leave Gotham and never return. Never speak to your contacts again. And I'll know if you rat out on me!"

"You got it Bats, I'll tell them everything! Just let me go!" Batman slammed him down on the ground and knocked him unconscious.

"That's over with," Batman muttered. "Now back to the Iceberg Lounge. Maybe we'll find someone who'll snitch for us." They headed back to the front door. There was a man outside the door and he was waiting to get inside.

"What's the magic words?" the man on the intercom asked.

"Little Bird," the man outside the door replied. The door opened for him and he made his way inside.

"I guess we didn't need a snitch after all," Cyborg said. The Titans headed toward the door. Batman put his hand on the half robot's shoulder.

"Wait, let me go first, that way I can make sure it's safe," Batman said.

"Thanks for the concern, but I think we can handle whatever's inside that building."

"You don't know this place like I do, you should take my advice and let me go in first," he repeated, his voice sterner than before.

"Fine, have it your way. Now I know why Robin's not so fond of you," Cyborg muttered the last half of his statement under his breath. Cyborg didn't see the smirk cross Dick Grayson's face as he slipped silently into the building.

Dick Grayson slipped silently through the doorway and crept around to where a security officer was standing at a reception desk of sorts, armed with a gun. He snuck up behind him and smashed his elbow into the man's shoulder and kicked him in the small of his back before bringing his fist into the back of his skull, leaving him unconscious on the floor.

"Inside, quickly!" Batman ordered. "It's safer that way."

"No kidding Batman," Cyborg muttered. "Listen, we appreciate the help and all but you should let me lead my team."

"I thought Robin was the leader of the Teen Titans," Batman said, a trace of a frown crossing his face.

"Well, he is but we don't know where he is," Cyborg admitted.

"What do you mean you don't know where he is?" Batman asked.

"We knew he left for Gotham a few days ago. We followed him but we've seen nothing of him since he left Jump City."

"Why are you telling me this?" The Batman's voice held a strange tone to it. "Why ask me?"

"You and Robin were partners. You should know where he is."

"I don't always watch what Robin does. I haven't seen him, if that's what you want to know." Batman turned away from them.

"Please, Batman, we wish to find Robin…we are very concerned for his well being…" Starfire said in a halting voice.

"I understand, but I haven't seen him," Batman said in a quiet voice. "We aren't exactly on speaking terms."

"Really, why?" Beast Boy asked.

"An incident with the Joker, I don't have time to explain now. This is not the time, we have to attend to the Penguin," he said in a curt, stern voice that left no room for objections or protests. He turned and walked briskly away, cape swirling behind him.

"Dude, we're worried about Robin, and you're not helping us find him!" Beast Boy said in an angry voice. "You're so cold to all of us. Now I see why Robin left you here!"

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, he doesn't work with you now so tell us where he is!"

"Beast Boy," Raven said sternly. "Show the man some respect. He trained Robin and he's trying to defend this city!"

"Why should I respect a man who won't help us find our leader?" Beast Boy asked. "If Batman is such a great and respected crime fighter then why did Robin leave?"

"I don't have time for this!" Batman whirled around and hissed in Beast Boy's face. He turned to Cyborg. "I highly suggest you tell your friend to keep quiet! All his shouting could alert security to our presence."

Cyborg gave the green changeling a harsh glare. "Beast Boy, next time there's a conversation, do shut up, he may not want us to work with him if you keep this up!"

Beast Boy trudged behind the rest of the Titans, saying nothing for a long while. Starfire turned to him. "Why did you say those things to the Batman?" she asked. "It is I who brought us here to search for Robin…why did you say that he is not trying to help us find him?"

"Why the temper tantrum Beast Boy?" Raven asked. "You have no right to judge someone you hardly know."

"Listen guys…I just said it because it's been almost a week and still we haven't found him. How do we know he's okay?"

"Robin can take care of himself Beast Boy. I suggest you apologize to Batman for all the things you said about him." Cyborg looked at him. Beast Boy noticed the Batman had stopped and turned back around, watching them quietly.

"Listen…Batman, I'm sorry for what I said, Dude, I didn't mean it," he looked at the caped figure uncomfortably.

"Don't worry, I've heard it before," he turned away and moved swiftly down the hall. They came to an elevator and Batman pushed the button. When the doors opened he gestured for them to get inside. They took it to the top floor, as got out, a communicator suddenly blared to life.

"I think you would like to know that Commissioner Gordon has an informant inside the Lounge, Sir, a certain Walter Feister." The Titans jumped at the sound of the unexpected noise.

"Who is that?" Cyborg asked.

"A close ally," Batman replied. "What else do you know? He's not corrupt is he?

"No, no, but he will know how to find the Penguin for sure; also he has given the Commissioner information regarding Penguin's security cameras and booby traps."

"Do they have an infrared wave length?"

"Yes they do Sir," Alfred replied.

"Good, I'll put a data tap on it; those security cameras may come in handy."

"I'll be available if needed, Sir," Alfred said. Batman shut off his communicator.

"There's a room up the hall, should we check it out?" Cyborg asked. They walked up to the door.

"How do we know what's on the other side?" Raven asked.

"I have an optic cable which gives me the ability to see what's on the other side of these doors." He peered into the room beyond. "I don't see anything." He opened the door.

"Let's see if my optic scanners can pick up anything…" Cyborg said as he began to scan the room.

"I'd not move around too quickly, there could be—" Batman began to say as infrared beams suddenly became visible and a green gas began to fill the room. Batman noticed Beast Boy standing in the worst place possible, right on an infrared beam.

"Gas," Cyborg finished. "Titans, hold your breaths!"

Batman grappled himself to the ceiling and the Titans quickly followed as the green poison gas filled the room. Batman launched a Bat-a-Rang through the window. The glass shattered and the gas dispersed out the window. They all could breathe fresh air soon after and dropped to the floor.

"Beast Boy, how did that happen?" Cyborg asked.

"I don't know dude, I was walking forward and then that beamy alarmy thing went off," Beast Boy replied.

"Come on let's go," we have to get to the communications center," Batman quickly opened a door across the room. They slipped into another room and looked around. "There's the control room."

"How many people are in there?" Cyborg asked.

"Two or three, and they're armed."

"I know this sounds like a bad idea, but we really don't have time to do all this sneaking around. We don't know when the Penguin will leave."

"You're right, we just have to—" suddenly a figure lunged at him, knocking him off his feet, sending him across the room.

"Whoa, who are these dudes?" Beast Boy asked.

"They must be those Kabuki Twins he told us about," Raven said.

"Dude, they do have big nails!" Beast Boy stared as one of them began to charge.

"Titans, go!" Cyborg shouted and they leapt into the fray. Starfire flew over and grabbed the first twin who was attacking Batman and threw her across the room. She landed on her feet and was soon plowed over by Beast Boy in rhino form. The other twin was battling Cyborg and Raven as she struck at Raven with her razor sharp nails.

Raven created a shield of dark energy around her, blocking the blades that could skewer her in half. She grabbed her opponent and telekinetically threw her across the room. Cyborg leapt high and brought himself smashing down on top of her. The twin suddenly struck out, raking her bladed fist across Cyborg's robotic body, damaging his systems. He leapt back, putting some distance between them.

Batman grabbed a flash/bang grenade from his utility belt and hurled it at her; the light momentarily left her blind as he rushed to help Cyborg. Leaping up, he brought a foot smashing down into her midsection, sending the oriental warrior stumbling back, his fist made contact with her face and she fell to the ground.

Starfire and Beast Boy were battling the second twin as Starfire smashed her fist into her face as the twin blocked it; she kicked out sending the alien princess spinning backwards. She lashed out with her blades, wounding Starfire, a bloody gash on her shoulder. The twin slammed the other fist into her stomach, she let out a cry of agony as Beast Boy charged in, attacking viciously. The twin jumped back as Batman flew into an unexpected fury, he attack without mercy, kicking ruthlessly, he flipped back and leapt high, slamming his leg into her face, his fists meeting with her body without stopping. He quickly knocked her to the ground unconscious.

Batman rushed to her side, checking her pulse and shredding his cape to stop the blood flow. "Star! Are you alright? Answer me!" Cyborg shouted, she had slipped into unconsciousness soon after, the wound had been serious due to the gash on her stomach.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a voice rang out across the room. The Titans and Batman looked up. It was the Penguin. "I've been expecting you Batman. You didn't think I'd be stupid enough to let it get out that I was after solid gold eggs did you? I let that rumor start on purpose, just to get you to come here. I always thought you were smart enough not to fall for a trick like that." He pulled out his umbrella and sent a hailstorm of bullets his way.

Batman easily dodged using acrobatics to dodge the gunfire. Raven made an energy shield around her friends, protecting the Titans as Cyborg continued attempting to stop the bleeding.

Batman landed in a crouching stance and glared at him. I set this up just so I could get you right where I want you, you pointy eared nuisance. Is Batsy all sore because I hurt his little girlfriend?" he taunted. He seemed to stop and think for a second. "Just a minute, when did you get a girlfriend?"

The Batman launched himself at the Penguin, kicking and punching with reckless abandon, it was as if he didn't care anymore. Cyborg saw something in the Batman's fighting style that was eerily familiar, but he couldn't place it.

The Penguin fought back, blocking and ducking, occasionally taking a slight offensive, but he soon found himself being beaten, he saw the fist coming towards his face, as he tried to block it, a knee smashed into his flabby belly, knocking the wind out of him. Batman brought his fist down on the hand that held the umbrella, knocking it far away.

The Penguin went into a fury of his own, he kicked out and knocked the Dark Knight off his feet, and caused him to stagger as he tried to keep his balance, Cyborg sent a Sonic blast from his cannon at the criminal, causing him to dive out of the way.

Beast Boy swooped down from above, grabbing him by his coat and flinging him across the room. The Batman leapt high and brought himself down with a bone breaking kick, into the Oswald Cobblepot's side, he cried out and skidded across the floor. Batman towered over him.

"I suppose it's my lot in life to be beaten by you. I blame high society at least, they made me this way." Batman said nothing as he grabbed the villain by his squat neck and hissed in a voice that only he could hear.

"If you _ever _hurt her again, YOU. WILL. PAY!" He slammed him on the ground and he lapsed into the darkness of insensible blackness.

"Come on, we have to get her to a doctor!" he said.

"But where can we go? We can't take her to a hospital!" Cyborg said.

"I'll take her to a clinic, take Penguin and the Kabuki Twins to the Police."

"Where are you going?" Raven asked. "Aren't you coming with us?"

"I have a friend, her name is Leslie Tompkins. Trust me, Starfire will be safe," Batman scooped the limp girl's body up and opened the window. Raven noted a strange tone in his voice, it sounded concerned, but it was more than that, it was as if he knew her somehow. Suspicion began to form in her mind, why did he want to take her without them.

"Batman, can't we—" she looked up and he had already vanished, "come with you?"

Cyborg looked at Raven, "I don't like this, it's as if he knows us already. We'd better get these guys to the police."

"But what about Starfire? Will she be okay?" Beast Boy asked.

"I'm sure Batman will contact us when she is awake," Cyborg said. "We have to trust his judgment." They gathered up the Kabuki Twins and the Penguin and made their way out onto the roof, they then headed for the Gotham Police Department where they would take the criminals from there.

* * *

Dick Grayson straddled his motorcycle and carrying Starfire over his shoulder, he floored it to Leslie Tompkins free clinic. He had to save her; he didn't want her to get hurt, he would never forgive himself if any of his teammates were injured because if him. _Please, Starfire, hang on…just hang on._


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

Dick Grayson gunned the engines of his motorcycle as hard as he could, pushing his vehicle to its limits, he dodged in and out of traffic, weaving his way quickly passed cars and vans catching the occasionally shocked stares of drivers. He headed downtown, towards Leslie Tompkins' free clinic. She was the only one he could turn to in times like this, Alfred was at Wayne Manor, but Dick feared that she would be dead by the time they got her to the Batcave.

Turning the corner, he rushed down an empty alley, pulling to a sudden stop at a back door. Scooping Starfire up in one arm, he carefully opened the back door and ducked inside. Closing the door, he noticed Dr. Tompkins was visiting a patient; he slipped quietly over to the other side, letting his shadow inform her that he was there.

She looked up with her eyes; then turned her attention back to her visitor. He had gotten her attention; that was good. She smiled. "Now, don't you worry, you just have a high fever, that's all. Take these antibiotics and come back in a week. If you'll excuse me, I have another patient to attend to."

"Thank you doctor, the woman said, "I'll be back in a week." She turned and walked away. Dr. Tompkins waited for the door to close.

When it was shut, she walked back farther into the room where he was. "What is it? Bruce is that you?" She looked at the caped figure in shock. "It can't be you; you're still in the hospital!"

"No, Dr. Tompkins, it's me, Dick Grayson," Dick said in his normal voice.

"I should have figured, it was all over the news about your return, I should have put two and two together. What is it? Are you hurt?" she asked.

"No, not me doctor, he walked into the light, carrying Starfire's limp body.

"Oh, my!" Leslie Tompkins exclaimed. "What happened to her?"

"A fight with the Penguin and the Kabuki Twins," Dick explained. "Can you help her? She's lost a lot of blood."

"I'll try, but I'm not sure if I can do this alone, it's too risky to go to the hospital."

"I'll call Alfred and have him come," Dick said, pulling out the Batwave. "Alfred, are you there?"

"Indeed, Sir," replied Alfred.

"I need you to come down to Dr. Tompkins' clinic, it's an emergency. Bring the hospital bed and the oxygen mask and anything that might be used for surgery."

"I don't think surgery will be necessary, Alfred," Dr. Tompkins said. "Just bring an extra oxygen mask and medicine."

"I will, Dr. Tompkins, I'm on my way, Master Dick," Alfred finished and shut it off.

Dr. Tompkins began cleaning Starfire's wounds carefully disinfecting them and bandaging them. Dr. Tompkins placed an oxygen mask over Starfire's mouth and nose. She was about to place an IV into her blood stream, when she turned to Dick. "What's her blood type?"

"I'm not sure, she's not human, she's an alien from the planet of Tamaran," he replied.

"Are you O positive or O negative?" she asked.

"O positive, why?"

"The O blood type is a universal donor. At least, with humans, it is, never done it on an alien before. How old are you, Mr. Grayson?"

"Seventeen and a half," he replied.

"Good, then you're old enough to donate blood; I wouldn't want to do something that could be dangerous to your health."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't either." He rolled up his sleeve and she stopped, she looked at him.

"Do you want me to tell her it was you? Normally, Doctor/patient confidentiality applies, but I could make an exception."

"No, Dr. Tompkins, Starfire doesn't know my secret identity. I never told her."

"Why?"

"Didn't think I'd ever need to, besides, she wouldn't understand why I haven't made contact with them as Robin since they came here."

"And why haven't you?" she asked as she inserted the needle. He winced at the pain but put it out of his mind. This wasn't about him, it was about saving Starfire. Soon, the blood transfusion was finished. Dick Grayson was weak, but satisfied. Starfire would live, and that was all that mattered, he never wanted anything bad to happen to his friends, and he would have never forgiven himself if she had died.

"I didn't want to put them in danger," Dick replied.

"It seems your friends have done that already, Dick, they followed you here after all." He nodded, looking at Starfire.

"I thought that if I didn't tell them, they would be safer."

"You have to tell them sooner or later, they're still looking for you."

"Don't worry; Dr. Tompkins, I will." Dick punched in the signal for the Titans' communicators. "Titans, it's Batman, Starfire is…safe for the moment."

"Where are you?" Cyborg asked.

"At Dr. Leslie Tompkins' clinic, she's received a blood transfusion. I'll send you the coordinates."

"We're on our way," Cyborg said.

* * *

Raven stared at the blank space where the Batman had once stood. "He's gone!" Raven said. "He just vanished with her!"

"What are we supposed to do now?" Beast Boy asked.

"I suppose we should get the Penguin and these Kabuki Twins or whoever they are, to the police," Cyborg said.

"But what about Starfire?" Beast Boy asked. "Will she be okay?"

"I'm sure the Batman will contact us soon. Let's get these guys to where they need to go."

They began hulling the three criminals away to the Gotham Police Department. They arrived with the criminals in tow, greeted by the shocked gazes of onlookers. Detective Yin was among the bystanders. She rushed forward. "Where's the Batman? And what happened to your red haired friend?"

"She's been hurt, the Batman is getting her medical attention," Cyborg replied.

"I see. You guys nabbed the Penguin," Detective Yin had three officers cuff them. "Thanks for your help. It's off to the Gotham Penitentiary for these three."

"You're welcome, now all we need to know is what happened to Starfire," Cyborg said. "Has the Batman called us yet?" Detective Yin and the other officers led them away.

"Not yet, dude," Beast Boy replied. "Where is he?" Suddenly, Cyborg's communicator blared to life. He picked up. It was the Batman.

"Titans, it's Batman, Starfire is…safe for the moment."

"Where are you?" Cyborg asked.

"At Dr. Leslie Tompkins' clinic, she's received a blood transfusion. I'll send you the coordinates."

"We're on our way," Cyborg said.

"I'll be waiting for you," he said. "I'll send it to the G.P.S. unit on your car." He ended the transmission.

"Wait just a second," Cyborg said suspiciously. "How does _he _know we have a G.P.S. unit on my baby?"

"He's Batman; doesn't he know this stuff already?" Beast Boy asked.

"But why would someone like Batman know about that? The Justice League doesn't pay any attention to our activities," Raven said.

"How do you know that?" Beast Boy looked at her.

"Long story," Raven said. The three Titans climbed into the T Car. I have the coordinates, guys.

"Let's go see how our girl is doing." They began to driving towards the place where Starfire was.

"I'm starting to wonder if the Batman we've fought alongside for the past few nights is really the real Batman," Cyborg said.

"Dude, speak English please, you're not making sense," Beast Boy said.

"I'm saying this might not be the real Batman."

"Why wouldn't he be?" Raven asked.

"People have been known to impersonate the Batman before," Cyborg replied.

"That's true, but why would it be now when we've just arrived?" Raven asked. "Why would someone impersonate the Batman right when we get here? If what you're saying is true and this person, whoever they are, is not the true Batman, wouldn't this person have been doing this longer than just recently? And wouldn't someone have figured it out by now?"

"You make a good point, Rae, but I just have a feeling that this person knows way too much about us for being someone we've never met before," Cyborg said thoughtfully. "It seems too coincidental."

"It does, but we don't have time to worry about who the Batman really is," Raven said. "We have to get to Starfire. Are we there yet?"

"Almost," Cyborg said as he turned a corner. He pulled the T Car to a dead halt in front of an empty alley. They scrambled out. Cyborg swept the area for any sign of Batman. He saw nothing. Not even a shadow.

Suddenly, a door opened and there stood the Dark Knight, waiting for them. "Come inside," he said in a low voice. "She's waiting."

"Is she awake?" Cyborg asked.

"No, but she's in stable condition. She's stopped bleeding but she's still unconscious." The Batman ushered the Titans into the clinic. Cyborg stared at Starfire in shock. He had never seen her in such bad shape before. Her normally vibrant orange skin was a ghastly pale color. The wounds left hideous scars on her body, deep piercing cuts that slanted horizontally down the side of her stomach. Five other stab wounds left small holes in her midsection.

"Are you sure she'll be alright?" Cyborg asked. "I've never seen her this bad before."

"I wouldn't know the answer to that; you shouldn't ask me, you should ask Dr. Leslie Tompkins."

"Where is she?" Raven asked.

Just then a lady opened the door on the opposite side of the room and walked in. The Batman looked up. "Dr. Tompkins, you're just in time. The Teen Titans want to know how she is. Dr. Tompkins, these are the Teen Titans, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, this is Dr. Leslie Tompkins. If you ever need medical attention, she'll be able to help you."

"Thank you for your help, Doctor," Cyborg said. "How is she?"

"You're alien friend?" she asked. "She's in stable condition. She's suffered a lot of internal bleeding, but her body is stabilizing."

"That's nice to know," Cyborg said. "Batman, thanks for—" he stopped in mid sentence as he turned to look towards where the Batman had been standing; he had once again disappeared into thin air. He turned his attention back to Dr. Tompkins.

"Wait a second, Dr. Tompkins. Who told you she was an alien?"

"A friend," she said simply. She remembered Dick Grayson hadn't told his friends who he was. She didn't want to tell them herself. That was Dick's responsibility and she felt it would be against her conscience to say anything without asking his permission.

"Was it the Batman who told you?" Raven asked.

"I'll leave that up to you to decide," the elderly doctor replied quietly.

"If he did, then how did he know?" Cyborg asked.

"Maybe you should go ask him, I'm sure he'd tell you," Dr. Tompkins said as she replaced the bandages on Starfire's wounds.

"But Dude—er, Dr. Tompkins, Batman won't even stay in one room long enough to even talk to us let alone _have _a conversation with us. What's his deal? Why does he always disappear like that?" Beast Boy asked.

"That's just the way he is," Dr. Tompkins sighed. "Your friend is in stable condition. If she regains consciousness, it would be even better for her."

"Raven, can't you use your powers to heal her?" Cyborg asked, Raven could heal wounds using her soul self, he wondered if it could help Starfire.

"My powers can heal, but not anything that serious, I don't think it would be able to do nearly enough."

"But can't you try, Raven?" Beast Boy asked. "I mean, we've been through so much and all. Robin said that you were the most hopeful person he knew. Isn't there some hope for Star?"

"I'm sure there is, Beast Boy, and I'll do what I can for her," Raven sighed. "You're right; we have to keep hoping that she'll pull through. You all didn't give up on me, and I'm not about to give up on her."

She knelt down by Starfire's body and began to whisper softly, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…" The black shape surrounded the Titan's wounds, creating a soft white glow.

"Is it working?" Beast Boy asked.

"I don't know," Raven answered.

"Just don't stop," Cyborg said.

"Don't worry, I don't intend to."

* * *

Dick Grayson had slipped silently out the door while his friends were speaking to Dr. Tompkins, he didn't leave because he wanted to; he left because he needed to make sure Alfred wouldn't be spotted by them when he arrived. He didn't want them to discover his butler lest they link the two together.

He saw Alfred arrive in his car. It was an average vehicle, nothing to draw suspicion; one would think that he had come for an appointment. He got out. "I came as soon as I could, Sir. Is she alright?"

"She's stable Alfred, but I can't let you go in, not yet."

"Why not, Sir?" Alfred asked.

"My friends are in there and I wouldn't want you to raise suspicion. They know about my life as Dick Grayson."

"But they don't know that Dick Grayson was and is still Robin," Alfred said.

"Bingo, but knowing them, they're probably still in there."

"Your friends must be undyingly loyal, Sir," Alfred commented.

"They are Alfred, they are," Dick said as he stared at the closed door.

"Since I can't go in there right now, Master Dick, would you like for me to fetch you some dinner, Sir?"

"Sure," he replied. "I'm worried sick so I don't know how I'll be able to eat anything, but go ahead and get me something." Removing his grapple gun from his belt, he shot it up onto the roof, hoisting himself up.

"How does Chinese sound Sir?"

"Great."

"Now how exactly am I supposed to get your dinner up there, Sir?" Alfred asked with a slightly amused tone filling his voice. He had an interesting sense of humor and it showed on a few occasions.

"Don't worry about that Alfred, I'll come down for it!" Dick shouted softly from the roof.

"I'm sure you will, Master Dick!" Alfred got into his car and drove off. Dick Grayson snuck over to the skylight and peered in. He checked his watch. It was 9:30 P.M., it was getting late and Dr. Tompkins was probably going to leave.

He saw Raven kneeling by Starfire, the muffled sound of "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos" caught his attention. He hoped it would work, she had healed Beast Boy's leg and his fractured arm, he wondered if she was pushing her limits, knowing her, she probably was.

He saw Dr. Tompkins walk into the room. "I'm sorry, but I'm about to close the clinic, so you'll have to leave."

"Who will watch Starfire?" Cyborg asked.

"I have someone coming. She'll be fine."

"Thank you so much Dr. Tompkins, this means a lot to all of us," Cyborg said.

"You're welcome." Dr. Tompkins turned and left.

"Come on guys, we need to get back to our hotel," Cyborg said, they turned and left, taking one last glance back at their friend. The Titans got in their car and drove off. Dick Grayson waited until they were gone. He spotted Alfred's car pull up again. He lowered himself to the ground by his grapple hook.

"Your Chinese food Sir," he said, handing Dick the carry out Chinese food.

"Thank you Alfred, I think you can come inside, the Titans are gone." They both stepped inside.

"Do you two think you can handle it from here?" Leslie Tompkins asked.

"Don't worry, Doctor, I'll do my best," Alfred assured her. "And Master Dick is here to help me if I need it."

"Good night, Alfred, Dick," Dr. Tompkins said as she shut the door behind her. The two men sat down, it was going to be a long night.

* * *

Meanwhile, The Penguin and the Kabuki Twins had been placed inside their cells in the Gotham Penitentiary. The Penguin sat in his cell grumbling angrily to himself.

"What's the matter with you, Beak Brain, got Bat problems?" a voice asked.

"Harley Quinn, what are you doing here? I thought you like Arkham," Oswald Cobblepot shot back.

"Their transferring me, at least I'll get to see Puddin' soon," she said. "How'd he get ya this time?"

"He beat me and my Kabuki Twins; I had the greatest plan to rid the city of the vulgar vigilante when I discover he's got four new friends! They beat us all and guess what Harley, the Bat has a girlfriend."

"Yeah, that Catwoman, that's not new."

"No, not her; this one's new. Some kind of red head; don't know who she is."

"Red heads don't ring a bell with me either. I'll keep it in mind for the Boss."

"Come on Ms. Quinn, we have to go," a guard said as he entered the cell where Harley Quinn was being held. Oswald Cobblepot smiled. He would be able to hurt the Batman after all.

"The Boss is gonna love this new information about Bats' new girlfriend, I guess prison's not so bad after all." They loaded her into the van for patients bound for Arkham Asylum. The Joker was going to be released soon, and maybe she could get out on "good" behavior too. And when she told him what she knew he would have information to put a plan in motion to get rid of the Batman for good.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

"Arkham Asylum, my home a way from home," Harley Quinn said in high pitched voice. The guard ushered her into a cell, she sat down on a bed. "I wonder where Puddin' is?"

"I'm next door Harley," came the Joker's voice. She looked over at him. "So who got you this time? Batsy?"

"No, not Batsy, it was that Batgirl chick this time," Harley replied. "But I discovered something you're really going to like Mr. J. You wanna guess?"

"I despise guessing games, leave that to Edward Nygma," Joker grumbled.

"Bats has a girlfriend," Harley said excitedly.

"But that's not new Harley, I know the Cat has a thing for the Bat!" he shouted. "Why did you bother to tell me something I know already?"

"But Boss, this girl's someone _new_. She's some redhead I've never heard of."

"Batsy has a new girlfriend, do you know what she looks like?" he asked.

"Well, uh Boss, I haven't exactly _seen _her—" Harley began.

"Then _why _did you open your big, fat mouth in the first place?" the Joker roared.

"But Boss, Pengy's seen her!"

"Penguin, well, well, once I get out of here I'll just have to go see him," the Joker let his already permanent smile grow even wider.

"So Puddin', have you come up with a plan to get rid of the Bat for good?" Harley asked.

"Harley, you know me, I don't make plans for anything, well, almost anything. I just fly by the seat of my pants. He he he he heh he heh, ha hah haha haha ha! fly by the seat of my pants! Can you imagine that, Harley?"

"Sure Boss, whatever you say," Harley said nervously.

"I'm going to need a plan…to get rid of the Batman…" Joker said, he began to think, he was a schemer, not that his schemes weren't diabolical; they were insane to the normal mind. "Do you have any suggestions Harley? Not that I'm not a genius, already."

"But Boss, the Bat always foils our—Excuse me _your _genius schemes, as much as I hate to say it."

"You know, your right, Harley. The Batman _does_ always manage to beat me…Well If you can't beat 'em…"

"Mr. J. You're not going to _join_ the Bat, are ya?"

"…Be 'em," the Joker's wide mouthed smile showed his teeth. Harley Quinn's eyes widened.

"_What?_" Harley asked, slack jawed, "you want to _be_ the Bat now?"

"Why not, Harley?" Joker asked, "You just said the Bat always thwarts my schemes."

"But I heard that Bane beat him," Harley said.

"If Bane beat the Bat, then who did Penguin fight?"

"Batsy, of course," Harley replied. "But how could he be Bats beat Pengy if he got beat by Bane?"

The Joker looked puzzled. "I don't know, it all sounds insane, doesn't it? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Just like me!"

"You're really sick, you know that Boss?" Harley asked.

"Um hmm," the Joker's smile became smug. "But really Harley, if Bats got beat by Bane, how could he just show up and take out the Penguin?"

"I don't know," Harley shrugged.

"Indeed, the Batman is a mysterious one," a voice interrupted. Harley and the Joker looked up from their conversation to see Edward Nygma sitting across from them in another cell.

"Oh, hello Eddie," Joker smirked.

"Don't call me Eddie, " the Riddler growled angrily. "I am the Riddler, I'm not Edward Nygma anymore."

"Have it your way Eddie," the Joker smirked. The Riddler glared at him from a cross the hall.

"So you were the first one to get knocked off the street since Bane supposedly broke the Batman's back."

"He did, I guess he recovered quicker than we thought," Edward Nygma said. "But the Batman is only human, and Bane broke his back almost a month ago. No human can recover that quickly, can they?"

"You've all heard the theories, Harley," Joker said. "We all wonder who he is beneath that mask. He could be extremely ugly and disgusting under there for all we know." You know, Two Face thinks Gordon's got 'em stashed away like a S.W.A.T. team," Joker said. "He's thinks it's more than one guy."

"I highly doubt that," the Riddler said. "I've fought him enough to know that he's just one man, and how could one more than man have an intellect that rivals mine?"

"I don't know Eddie," Joker said, "But anyway, have you heard Croc's theory? He says it's a robot. For someone who claims he's smart, he sure comes up with some stupid theories. Ha, ha ha, Oooh ha!" Joker chuckled. "It's a good thing he's not in the same room with me, he'd probably try to tear me a part. I'd sue; then I'd rip his lungs out."

"But I thought you all were _friends_," the Riddler smirked.

"We're all not _friends_ Eddie, just acquaintances that have one thing in common. The Joker doesn't have any friends. Scratch that, Two Face and Pengy, and maybe Croc if I'm in a good mood, are my, what would Pengy call us? Oh yes, _fellow Rogues,_ I think. Pengy and I have our little spats. He says I have no professional courtesy, whatever that means. But we understand each other. Oh yes, and dear Harley here, I couldn't possibly leave her out!"

Harley smiled adoringly at the Joker, who just cringed and said, "Ugh! I hate it when she does that!"

"So what's this idea of your Joker, you like to play dress up with the Batman's toys?" Riddler asked.

"Someone with your oh-so-high-and-mighty intellect should've figured that out sooner Eddie. Anyway, this next scheme of mine will be fun, for me at least."

"Fun? You want to impersonate the Batman for fun? I'd think you'd want to get rid of him."

"Yes, I'm planning to get rid of him, have you no sense of humor, Eddie?" the Joker asked indignantly.

"But he's right ya know, that doesn't help us get _rid_ of him though," Harley said in a voice that resembled a high pitched whine.

"But who says it won't?" the Joker asked. "If the Batman commits a crime, let's say a murder, everyone in the city will turn against him! Then we can do anything we want! Heh, heeh, heh, ha, ha, ha hoo, hoo, hoo, ha ha ha hahaa!"

"But the Bat doesn't _do_ that kind of thing and everybody knows it!" Harley protested.

"Yes, she has a point," the Riddler said.

"But if they can be convinced that he did, if they _see_ it my dear Harley; the people of Gotham will believe anything!"

"But how are they going to see it?" Harley asked, looking around. "And what about the guards? They'd separate us if they knew what we were planning."

"The prison guard, he's just a moroon. He's too stupid to think about anything," the Joker said happily.

"So how are we going to do it, we have to get out of here," Harley frowned.

"Don't worry, if we're good then they'll let us go," the Joker said.

"Didn't know the word "good" was in your vocabulary, Boss," Harley said. "But how long are we going to be in here?"

"Not too long, Bane's still on the loose, I'm sure he'll come bursting in here, send all the guards running, and we can walk out of here free without any problems."

"What makes you think that'll happen?" the Riddler asked. "Just because he did it before doesn't mean he'll do it again."

"You're right Eddie, I suppose we'll have to break out," Joker said.

"But what about getting out on our "good" behavior?" Harley asked.

"I changed my mind and decided to scratch that plan," Joker said.

"But Mr. J, if we break out of jail the coppers will come a lookin' for us," Harley said.

"Weren't you listening to anything I said earlier? Bane will come and break us out, you'll see."

"I wish I could believe you," Harley muttered, staring out her cell window.

* * *

Dick Grayson sat in the dark; shadowed in the inky black shroud of a lightless room, save for the monitors that were attached to Starfire's body. Raven's healing techniques had done some good, her body was no longer internally bleeding, and she had remained in stable condition many hours after Dr. Tompkins had left. Alfred, being a certified army nurse had volunteered his time from his duties at Wayne Manor to watch over her until Dr. Tompkins returned.

Yes, her body was healing, but why wasn't she awake? Surely someone with her strength and power would not be snuffed out even by the most serious of injuries. Her strength was that she was often underestimated by her enemies due to her naivety concerning Earth and its ways. They thought that she was weaker because she did not understand everything about a planet that was not her own. She wasn't stupid, she was just ignorant; but not the ignorance that comes from stupidity, it was the ignorance of someone who was experiencing things that were unfamiliar to her.

"Starfire…" Dick Grayson whispered her name. "Why did you follow me?" he asked softly. "Why did you come to this place, where things are worse and lives are threatened every day? Where people die in the streets by the hands of maniacs and psychopaths? Why didn't you trust me when I said that I would be back soon?"

Dick rose to his feet and began to pace the floor, his footsteps soundlessly moving across the room, "I didn't want anything to happen to the team while I was away. I wanted everyone to be safe. But I guess we never get what we want in life, do we? If I had what I wanted my parents would still be here…" He sighed, there was no use reliving the past, trying to grasp things that you couldn't reach.

He looked over at the limp unconscious figure on the bed and walked over to her. Sitting down in a chair, he observed the screens. Her heartbeat and vital signs were steady, but she still wasn't awake.

"You're strong, Starfire. Stronger than any normal human being, you can pull through this," Dick whispered. He felt his eyes growing heavy; he'd been up all night watching her. He slowly drifted off to sleep. He slept for a short while, his chest rose and fell with his breathing.

Unbeknownst to him, the display on the monitors tracking Starfire's vital signs began rising and falling, not rapidly, like her body was going into seizures or convulsions, but it was showing that her body was recovering. Her eyes flickered open; she blinked and looked around.

"Robin…?" she asked. She didn't know where she was. After she slipped into unconsciousness, it felt like a dream. She felt herself drifting out of her body. She didn't remember seeing anything, but she heard words. People speaking, muddled voices, murmuring whispers saying words she couldn't understand, either that or her brain couldn't comprehend them. She turned her head, expecting to see her friends, she tried to focus on what she was seeing, but she couldn't visualize what she was seeing.

"_Robin…?_" Dick started in his sleep. Was someone calling him? It sounded like a hoarse whisper. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming. He opened his eyes briefly, only to shut them again. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him.

"Master Dick!" Alfred said. "Master Dick! The young lady is stirring, and she's asking for you!"

"What?" Dick said in shock before he could restrain himself. He immediately sat up, his weariness gone. He was fully aware and alert now. "She's awake?"

"She's conscious but she's only said one word since she woke a few minutes ago. I happened to walk in and hear her speak."

"Shall I get her some breakfast?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, but don't tell her about me."

"What am I supposed to say, Sir?" Alfred asked.

"Just tell her that you're a friend of Dr. Tompkins."

"I'll get her that breakfast right away, Sir," Alfred said, walking briskly out of the room. Dick turned his attention back to Kory Anders, Starfire.

"Robin…?" she asked again. "Where are you…?"

"He is close," Dick replied in a low voice.

"Who are you?" Starfire asked in surprise as her eyes finally focused on the dark clad figure sitting beside her. Apparently, she forgot who he was.

"The Batman," he replied. He hated lying to her, but it was the truth in a sense. He was the Batman now; Robin was gone, hidden away from her, for now at least. He looked at her quietly. "You've been wounded…I took you to Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic for medical attention."

"I thank you…Batman. But where is Robin?" she asked.

"I can't tell you…it's too dangerous for you to know…"

"Why?"

"It's just…too complicated."

"I understand," she replied. "But I will not stop searching for my friend."

"I admire your courage," Batman said. "Just rest now Star…Just rest…" He rose to his feet and began to walk away. "You've been through a lot. Don't worry about Robin. He can take care of himself." Dick Grayson walked over to a window and opened it. She watched as he vanished into the early morning light. Little did he know that all Hell was about to break lose in Gotham City…


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

Dick Grayson slipped out into the early morning light, leaving Kory Anders, Starfire to recover. Dr. Tompkins had moved her from the bottom floor where she had been treated for her injuries to an infirmary on the fourth floor. Things were looking up for him at last. 

He felt a wave of relief wash over him; he hadn't realized how worried he was until that moment. He pulled out his grapple gun and secured it to the roof. He swung off the ledge and let himself swoop down and landed on the concrete with ease, landing near his motorcycle.

He drove through the streets, making his way back to the Batcave beneath Wayne Manor. He had been up all night and he felt exhausted. He was going to crash the moment he got home. He hadn't realized how tired he was.

He pushed a button on the cycle that opened a sewer grate that was actually part of the entrance to the Batcave. He weaved his way through the darkness, turning on the headlights. He pulled the cycle to a dead halt and dismounted.

Removing his uniform, he climbed into the elevator and headed upstairs. The shelf behind the grand piano moved itself aside revealing the hidden entrance to the Batcave. Closing the secret entrance behind him, he headed straight to his room.

He collapsed onto the bed, utterly worn out by his vigilante activities. It seemed like forever since he'd been out that long and even longer since he'd gotten a good night's sleep. Dick climbed into the covers, shut his eyes, and slept in a dead heap until late that afternoon.

* * *

Kory Anders looked up as an elderly gentleman entered her hospital room. She hadn't seen him before and she wondered who he was. "Greetings, strange newcomer, who are you and where are you from and do you wish to be my friend?"

Alfred Pennyworth smiled. "Well, young miss, my name is Alfred Pennyworth. I am from Gotham City, although I am British decent, and yes, I would like to be your friend. May I ask your name, Miss…?"

Starfire had to think for a moment, if she gave this man the wrong name, she could endanger herself and she remembered that superheroes in Gotham had secret identities. "I am…Kory Anders," she replied.

"It's nice to meet you Ms. Anders, would you like some breakfast?"

"Yes, I would like the breakfast very much. Do you work here?"

"No, I'm just a friend of Dr. Tompkins, she's the nurse here."

"Oh, wonderful, have you ever met Robin?" she asked. "I am searching for him."

"Robin…the vigilante, Robin the Boy Wonder? Yes I have met him. A fine boy, really, why do you want to find him?"

"He is my friend," she answered simply.

"As you probably know, Ms. Anders, Robin is well known in Gotham City."

"I understand that."

"He has many fans and admirers; perhaps you yourself fall into one of those categories." A small smile pulled at Alfred's lips. As Dick Grayson's maternal figure, he had watched the boy's transformation from a lonely, bullied, insecure boy into a confident, strong, brave Boy Wonder called Robin. He knew there were many screaming fans that would love to meet him and unmask him. He was always wary when girls talked about Robin.

"I am not sure if I am a "fan" of his, but I wish to find him because…it is very important that I do so." She didn't want to tell him everything at once. She wasn't sure if he was one of the "bad guys" Gotham was infamous for housing.

"I see. Well, Ms. Anders, I wish you luck in finding Robin. And I hope you have a swift recovery as well."

"Well, Alfred, how is she?" a voice asked. Kory looked over and saw an elderly woman with a kind, gentle face walk in the room. She must be the Dr. Tompkins Alfred had spoken of.

"Ms. Kory Anders is doing fine, Dr. Tompkins," Alfred replied. "Ms. Anders, this is Dr. Tompkins, she runs the clinic."

"Am I in a…"good shape", Dr. Tompkins?" Kory asked, trying to remember the proper Earth grammatical structure. Dr. Tompkins smiled at her. She stood beside her bed.

"Well, Ms. Anders, you are recovering well from your wounds. You may have to stay here for a few weeks before you can be released." Kory's face fell, as much as she tried to hide her disappointment.

"Don't you worry, Ms. Anders, you're in pretty good shape for a girl your age, I'm sure you'll be out of here in no time at all."

"I thank you, Dr. Tompkins."

"Now you get some rest, it's the best way you can recover." Dr. Tompkins said as she changed the IV in Kory's arm. Kory winced in pain as the needle was removed and bit her lip to stifle a cry of pain as the fluids entered her body through the reinserted needle.

Dr. Tompkins changed her bandages and she tried not to look at the wounds on her body. The doctor cleaned them and told her they were healing nicely. She then left the room and told her if she needed anything to ask Alfred or push the button on the side of the bed if he had to leave and she would come see what she needed.

After it was over, Alfred set the breakfast tray down before her and she ate slowly, unsure whether or not her body could handle food. After she finished, she lay back down. Closing her eyes, she began to drift into a deep, dreamless sleep. Alfred watched her and sighed. There was more to her than met the eye, and it was obvious she cared for Robin. He had to wonder if the Boy Wonder felt same for her as well.

* * *

Aweary Cyborg pulled the T Car into the hotel parking lot. Pushing a button he quickly reversed the car back to its normal appearance and the Titans climbed out. Raven then used her soul self to teleport them to the boy's hotel room so they could all change back into their normal clothes.

"Good night, y'all, I'm gonna shut down," Cyborg said to Beast Boy and Raven.

"Same here, Dude, I'm gonna crash. Night Rae," Beast Boy said. Raven turned and walked out of the room and quickly ducked into her own before anyone could see her. She shut the door behind her and sighed. It was strange not having Kory there. She was used to her talkative nature and questions. Now she was in a clinic fighting for her life. She wondered if her friend was better. It seemed her healing powers had helped some. She had never tried to feel emotions of individuals at a distance, and the thought crossed her mind that she could try to contact her.

Raven was an empath, meaning that she could feel the emotions of others. She wondered if she could feel Kory's emotions even if she was unconscious. Though she was exhausted from crime fighting, she felt she had to try.

She exhaled slowly and began, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…" she repeated the mantra again and again, reaching out with her entire being, connecting herself to the emotions of others, feeling for the emotions that were clearly Kory's. She concentrated, sifting through the fragments of feelings she sensed. She felt…worry, concern, an emptiness…it was centered on…birds…specifically…she felt for it again, focusing her energies on those thoughts. Birds…the emotions she felt was different…Birds, birds! It suddenly hit her, a specific bird: a robin.

A Robin! Raven's eyes snapped open, she knew these emotions came from Kory Anders and she knew her friend was alive. She got up and changed her clothes quickly. She practically ran to the boy's room. She knocked on the door. There was no answer. She began to pound on the door until it was opened by Beast Boy.

"Raven, Dude, it's 7:00 A.M. and we haven't gotten any sleep! Can it wait until tomorrow?" Gar asked in an angry, sleepy voice.

"It's Kory, Kory's still alive," Raven said breathlessly. Gar's eyes about popped out of his head.

"She's still alive? Is she gonna be okay?" he asked.

"I think so." Victor came up behind Gar.

"She's alive, and she's recovering. I've felt her emotions and she's still worried about Robin."

"I was worried we were going to lose her," Victor smiled. "Thanks for the news Raven, now go back to sleep. We'll visit her later this afternoon. We all need our rest first." They closed the door and she headed back to her room. She climbed into bed and closed her eyes, allowing sleep to take her far, far away from consciousness, succumbing to the rest she desperately needed.

The Titans woke up later that afternoon, still exhausted from their night excursions. Raven went down to the lobby. Gar and Victor soon joined her. "So, when will we go see Kory?" Gar asked.

"As soon as we're done eating," Victor replied.

"Should we continue our search for Robin?" Raven asked in a low whisper.

"Of course, but the problem is that we have no idea where to look."

"We'll have to try anyway," Raven said. "But we should probably go see Kory first."

"And we should probably get something to eat." Victor got up from the table. Raven and Gar followed him to the car. "So, does anyone know of any good restaurants?" They both shrugged their shoulders. "I suppose we'll have to drive around and look."

They began to drive through Gotham, looking at the various eateries, cafés and restaurants. They didn't see anything they could afford in the downtown area so victor headed towards the east side of the city. They eventually came to a little building called the Time Out Café. The small banner read COFFEE, OPEN ALL NIGHT, EATS. They parked the car and walked inside.

Sitting down at one of the booths, they began looking at the menu. "Do they have anything that's vegetarian?" Gar asked. He didn't see a whole lot on the menu, mainly sandwiches and burgers.

"Well, kid, we ain't got a lot of vegetables but we do have appetizers," a heavyset lady with a deep voice said loudly.

"Oh, okay, I'll take two appetizers," Gar said, "the vegetable platter."

"Suit yourself kid," the lady said. "You two want something?" the lady asked.

"Sure, I'll take a turkey sandwich," Raven said.

"I'll have the chicken sandwich," Victor said. "Have you lived here a long time Ms…?"

"Just call me Berty," the lady said.

"Uh, Berty," Victor finished.

"Lived here all my life, kid; why so interested?" she asked.

"Because maybe you've seen a friend of ours," Victor removed a photograph from his pocket, it was one of the Titans as a team standing outside Titans Tower. She looked at it thoughtfully.

"Hey, I know that kid. That's Robin the Boy Wonder; you part of his fan club or something?"

"You could say that," Victor said.

"How do you know him?" Raven asked.

"He used to come here all the time. Never understood why, but this is where he hung out a lot before your friend moved to Jump City or some place like that. Never understood why, this isn't the nicest or the safest place in town, and then Batman got a new one."

"What a new Robin, can you explain this to us, we don't understand," Victor said. "There's more than one Robin?"

"Listen kids, I'll get you your sandwiches; then we can talk about the Bird Boy, alright?" Berty bustled off to get their orders. Victor looked at his friends.

"Do you think we can trust her?" Gar asked.

"She seems to know a lot about Robin," Raven pointed out. "I wonder why he'd hang out here in this side of town."

"Don't know, but we should be careful of what we say, we don't even know anything about Berty. Let's just play it by ear."

Betty came back with their food. "So, you wanna know about the Bird huh? What would you like to know?"

"You said Robin left and went to Jump City and Batman got a new one. How did that happen?" Victor asked.

"I'm not sure. I heard Batman fired him because of something that happened with the Joker."

"Really? Do you know what happened?"

"The papers said Joker shot 'im. Poor kid, then Batman fired him or somethin'. The second one didn't last long though; he just disappeared into thin air. Don't know if he's alive or anything, I guess he's not 'cause Batman got a third Robin, this one stuck around, then he retired. That's all I know, really, just what I read in the papers. Does that help you kids?" The three Titans continued eating their food in silence.

"It does. Thanks a lot Berty," Victor said.

"You're welcome," Berty replied. She handed them the receipt for their meals. Victor pulled out some money from his pockets, which in truth were his robotic compartments.

"Here you go, keep the rest."

"Thanks for the tip, kid. Come back again sometime," she said in a friendly voice. They got up and left the café.

"Dude, I didn't understand a thing she said," Gar commented. "Did you guys?"

"It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, once we find Robin, I'm sure he'll explain everything."

"I hope we find him soon, these late nights are killing me," Gar said. They climbed into the parked car. "Are we gonna see Kory now?"

"Yep. I just remembered that the Batman sent us the coordinates for that place, what's-it-called…?" he looked down at his G.P.S. system. "Oh yeah, the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic," he drove them to the clinic and they parked the car.

They climbed out and entered the building. "What room is Kory Anders staying in?" Victor asked Dr. Tompkins as she looked up at them. "We're her friends."

The kindly doctor raised a knowing eyebrow at the young teens; she had already guessed who they were, since that particular patient was not from Gotham and had no known connections here except Dick Grayson, and she had not seen at all that day.

"She's resting in her room. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you." Dr. Tompkins led them up to her room on the fourth floor.

They walked in and she looked up at them. "Hello friends! It is good to see you!" Kory smiled at them.

"Hey, are you okay?" Gar asked.

"Yes, I am," she replied. "And you I trust you are doing well?"

"We're fine, Kory," Raven replied. "How do you feel?"

"I do not know, but I feel better than I did earlier."

"That's good to know. We were worried that we might lose you."

"I am stronger than I look," the alien princess smiled. "But tell me, have you found _him_ yet?"

"No, but we're still looking. He's bound to turn up sooner or later," Victor said.

"That is worth knowing," she sighed. "There is something about the Batman that is highly disturbs me."

"What would that be Star, he's creepy enough so he'd disturb anyone," Gar said.

"He called me Star," she said quietly. "It is as if he knows me somehow. Only you my friends, call me "Star". Everyone else calls me "Starfire". Maybe the Batman is not who he said he is."

"Well, I don't know who he is either," Victor said. "I don't understand why Robin just disappeared into thin are once he arrived."

"Unless _he_ is the one under the mask of the Batman," Kory said. "We have not forgotten how he created the Red X to trick Slade."

"Yeah, but Red X was a villain, Kory," Gar protested. "Batman's one of the good guy. Why would Robin want to impersonate a good guy? This city already has a Batman."

"I do not know why, but I have a feeling it might be him under that mask."

"Well, I don't know, but I think we should concentrate on finding Robin so he can straighten out this mess. We're not giving up, Kory. But Robin being Batman is just _too_ coincidental. You've been hurt and you're still recovering—"

"But friend Victor, what if it _is_ friend Robin under the mask?" Kory asked.

"Then Robin's gonna have a whole lot of explaining to do. You look really tired so we'll leave you to rest and go start searching for Robin again."

"I thank you friends for coming." Kory watched them leave. The others walked down to the elevators.

"What if she's right?" Raven asked. "She's the one who discovered Robin was Red X the first time. It would explain why we can't locate Robin anywhere and why his communicator's offline."

"Maybe, but all the information we have is nothing but guesses and here say."

"Which makes it all the more important that we find Robin," Raven said.

"And that's exactly what we're gonna do," Victor said.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky by the time Dick Grayson opened his eyes. "Excuse me, Sir," Alfred said. "It's time for you to wake up."

"Bats are nocturnal!" Dick growled. He was still exhausted from his encounter with the Penguin and staying up beside Kory Anders. He pulled the covers over his head and rolled over, trying to ignore his butler.

"Bats may be Sir, but for a billionaire playboy, three-o'-clock is pushing it. Besides you have visitors in the living room."

"Visitors?" Dick asked, snapping awake instantly. "Who is it?"

"Oh, Detective Ellen Yin and Detective Harvey Bullock, Sir," Alfred explained. "They're here to inform you about their investigation into the whereabouts of Bane."

"Oh, I'll go see them right away. I wouldn't want to keep them waiting." Dick quickly climbed out of bed, pulled a suit from the closet and threw it on hurriedly. He tried to straighten himself out as best he could. He quickly darted inside the bathroom and put some gel in it, he quickly straightened out his hair, making himself presentable.

He walked out into the living room where Detectives Yin and Bullock were waiting for him. "Good afternoon, Detectives. Can I help you with something?"

"Hey, kid," Harvey Bullock said. "Well we came here to inform you that Bane's still loose and we haven't found him. We got a few leads but they've gone cold since then."

"I see, and have you consulted the Batman about this?" Dick asked.

"What do we need him for?" Bullock asked. "Cops like me are busting our butts off to protect this city, and that glory-hogging long underwear geek gets all the credit for it."

"I see. So has he been spotted anywhere in Gotham?"

"Yeah, we've heard of sightings, but by the time we get there he's cleared out."

"You know, Dick, he could come after you," Detective Yin said quietly as she sat beside Bullock on the couch. "I'd be very careful." Only Dick and Ellen knew the double meaning behind her words. She was one of the few who knew the secret identity of both Batman and Robin. She was warning him not to do anything rash.

"I understand your concern, Detective Yin. I'll be very careful."

"You know kid," Bullock began. "I may not like the Bat much but he could've stopped Bane. I mean, we didn't get there soon enough."

"But you don't support him."

"I know, but in some instances, he is a nice thing to have around, saves us from injury ourselves. You remember that Wolfie character that showed up out of nowhere, I let him handle it, and it turned out alright. Not that I'm promotin' him or anything, but I still say he should leave saving the city to us."

"Ah, I see. Well, thank you for dropping by, detectives. If I see anything I will inform you immediately." The detectives got up and Dick escorted them to the door.

"Thank you for your time, Grayson. We'll let you know if anything turns up," Bullock said.

"Goodbye, detectives, thank you for your time." He shut the door behind him.

"Would you like some breakfast, Sir?" Alfred asked. "You haven't eaten anything since you woke up."

"Sure Alfred, when did you come home?"

"Earlier this morning, Sir. After I served Ms. Kory Anders her breakfast I came home and took a good nap and then I though it was time to wake you."

"Kory Anders...? Oh yeah, Starfire," Dick shook the sleep out of his eyes. "How is she Alfred?"

"The young lady is recovering quite well actually. She seems very worried about you, Master Dick, and by the way she talked about you it seemed she has no knowledge of your secret identity. I assume she doesn't know anything about it"

"She doesn't."

"But I thought you and Ms. Anders were friends, Sir."

"We are, it's just I've never felt the need to tell her about it."

"Why is that?" Alfred asked.

"There was no need for Dick Grayson, there was only Robin."

"I see, but now that you have returned to Gotham and assumed your alternate persona of Dick Grayson, your friends have no way to find you, since you are no longer Robin."

"Exactly."

"Then they followed you here for nothing, Sir?"

"No, it's just not the right time to tell them Alfred. Not just yet. Maybe later, when this is all over with."

Well then, what are you going to do now Sir?"

"I think I'll take Ace for a walk. It's been a long time since I've gotten to do that."

"Going anywhere in particular, Master Dick?"

"Robinson Park, I'll be back later, in time for dinner."

"And your nightly activities, I suppose," Alfred quipped.

"Of course," Dick Grayson turned and whistled for Ace. "Come on boy, we're going for a walk!"

The dog bounded into the room and jumped up on his master's knees. "Easy boy. Come on. Ace, to the car, boy." They both headed out the door to his car, which was to his amazement still left intact by Bane. Ace jumped in the front passenger's seat while Dick climbed in the front. He drove across the bridge down the narrow streets to Robinson Park. He hoped to have a little peace and quiet there.

He climbed out of the car and put Ace's leash on him. Smiling, he looked down at his furry companion. "Come on Ace, let's go." They began walking towards the park. Once they were inside they began strolling through the park.

Walking along a pathway Dick spotted three very familiar faces. Beast Boy, Raven and Cyborg, he remembered their names were Gar, Raven and Victor. He smiled. He was happy to see them, but he had to remind himself that they didn't know that Robin was Dick Grayson.

"Hi, remember me?" he shouted. They looked up and smiled.

"Dude, what are you doing here?" Gar asked, walking up to him.

"Oh, just walking the dog," Dick replied. "Come here, Ace." The dog walked over to Gar and sniffed his shoes.

Gar bent down and scratched the dog's head. "He's nice."

"Thanks…Uh, where's your friend Kory?" he knew he had to bring it up but he wasn't sure how to start. He knew where she was but he didn't want to let on that he did.

"Oh, she's…hurt," Gar said.

"Oh, really. What happened?"

"It's a long story, Mr. Grayson," Victor said.

"Please, call me Dick."

"Okay. Dick, let's just say she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We took her to a clinic."

"I see," Dick looked thoughtful. "Do you know where she's staying?"

"She's in the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic."

"I know where that is," Dick said. "Maybe I'll visit her."

"Really, why so interested?" Raven asked. She'd been silent for a long time.

"She's a nice, and I think I should go see her," Dick replied.

"So are you really a rich party boy like they say in the tabloids?" Gar asked.

"Gar! Don't ask him that! We barely know him!" Raven shouted.

"No, not, that's not true at all, the tabloids are well, the tabloids. They'll write anything if it sounds good."

"Forgive him, he's an idiot," Raven glared at Gar, who blushed.

"Don't worry that's okay. I'll see you guys around. I have some business to take care of."

Dick Grayson walked about the park until he decided to go back to his car. Climbing in, he drove to a card shop. Parking, he headed inside and rummaged through the Get Well cards until he found one. Paying for it, he sat in his car writing a note to Kory Anders, Starfire. He finished writing and drove to the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic. Where he knew she was recovering.

Entering the building, he asked for her room and made his way there. He saw her look up as he entered. "Hello, Starfire."

"Mr. Grayson, what are you doing here?" Kory asked, surprised. "How do you know who I am and that I am Starfire?"

"Robin told me who you were. I heard you were here and I came to visit."

"I thank you, but how did you find out I was here and when did Robin tell you who I was?"

"I met your friends in the park; they told me you were hurt." Dick Grayson pulled out the Get Well card from the inside of his clothes. "Robin told me when he came to see me earlier this afternoon."

"It is from Robin!" Kory exclaimed. "But how did you obtain this?"

"He told me he wouldn't be able to give this to you himself so he asked me to give this to you."

"I welcome you, but did he say why he could not give this to me himself?"

"He had things he needed to do. I must be going now. I'll tell him that you're alright." Kory nodded.

"I thank you. Could you close the window? I am feeling the cold."

"Sure," Dick said. He walked over and shut the window. "See you tomorrow, Kory."

"Please tell Robin when you see him that his friends are here looking for him."

Kory opened the get well card that Robin had sent her. She wondered how he knew Dick Grayson and why he hadn't come in person to give it to her. She looked at the card. On the front it said, "Get Well Soon…"

She opened the card and read the message. "I haven't left you Starfire, I am always close by. I know what happened to you. I'm sorry I can't talk to you now. The situation is too complicated. Get well soon. Sincerely, Robin."

She closed the card. How could that be possible that he knew what had happened, unless…he had been there the entire time. Her mind was spinning with confusion. She felt exhausted. She put the card on the small table next to the bed. She closed her eyes and went to sleep.

"Please give Robin my message."

"I will, I will." Dick Grayson turned and left the room. He walked down to his car and drove back to the Batcave and began to prepare for his patrol. He had a bad feeling about leaving Starfire alone, and he had no idea why. Hell was about to unleashed on Gotham City, and the match that would start the fire was about to be lit.

* * *

It was early evening and Harley Quinn, the Joker, and the rest of the occupants of Arkham Asylum sat in their cells waiting. They were waiting for Bane to come barreling through the doors and smash through their cells. The Venom powered hit man hadn't been seen around Arkham for days and they were wondering if he was going to show.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash as Bane's fists broke through the gates of Arkham Asylum. He smashed into the guards, killing them instantly. He then ran through the doors and began crashing through the cells, their occupants wasting no time in making their escape to fresh air and freedom.

Soon, he made his way to the top floor where criminals like Harley, the Joker and The Riddler resided. He broke through their cells and they walked out into the hallway. They looked at each other. The Joker stood to his feet. "Hey Baney! Where you going?"

"I have business to take care of," Bane's low voice answered. He turned and bounded away. Joker shrugged his shoulders.

"So Boss are we gonna put your plan into action?" Harley asked.

"Of course, Harley, but first we need to pay a quick visit to Pengy at the Gotham Penitentiary and see what all this fuss is about Batsy's girlfriend."

'Oh, okay," Harley said. They began making their way downstairs. Various criminals were running about. One man stepped out from a cell and into their path.

"Hello, Joker," Dr. Crane said.

"Oh, Scarecrow, it's you. What are you going to do now that Bane's busted us out of here?"

"I'm going to make myself known. Gotham seems to have forgotten about the Scarecrow. But first I need to talk to Bane."

"Why talk to Bane? We got a better way to get rid of Batsy." Joker said, placing an arm around Dr. Crane's shoulder. "Come on Doc, we're gonna need your little Fear Toxin anyway." Dr. Jonathan Crane placed his burlap sack mask over his face.

"I'll believe it when I see it," he said and followed Harley and the Joker out of Arkham Asylum as the inmates overpowered the guards and poured into Gotham City.

"Where are we going?" Scarecrow asked.

"The Gotham Penitentiary," Joker replied. "We have to see Pengy."

"Why?"

"Let's just say he knows something about Batsy that may come in handy."

They headed straight to Gotham Penitentiary. The Guards saw them coming. Some fled in fear while some bravely stood their ground. "Do you want to deal with them or shall I?" The Joker asked.

"Leave them to me, death will be much more terrifying my way," Scarecrow said.

"Oh, the more the merrier my friend, have a go at it!" The Joker chortled.

Scarecrow walked up to them and without a word, sprayed them with his Fear Toxin. Joker could only laugh in sadistic amusement as the men fell to their knees, writhing on the floor they screamed insanely about demons and boogie men and monsters. It was only a few minutes before they stopped speaking and soon after they stopped breathing.

Joker and Harley walked into the compound, not even looking at the bodies of the poor, unfortunate souls who had just died before their eyes. Joker stepped over the corpses as if they were mere garbage in the street. Leaving them behind, they made their way towards the Penguin's cell. Fortunately for Harley, she remembered where they were holding him.

"Good evening Pengy, how're you holding up?" The Joker asked in a cheerful voice.

"As good as can be expected in surroundings such as these, thanks to you-know-who," Penguin muttered.

"Funny you should mention that, we were hoping to talk to you about Batsy."

"Oh really, what do you want to know?" Penguin asked.

"What's this about his new girlfriend?" Joker asked.

"Oh, her, she's some redhead. Shoots lasers from her eyes," Pengy said. "My Kabuki Twins got her. Don't know where she is though."

"Well I have my own methods of finding out," Joker said. "I suppose since you gave me this information you want something in return."

"Of course I do! I want you to get me out of here!" Penguin shouted angrily. "Wasn't that obvious enough?"

The Joker stepped back and looked around for something he could use to open the door. He found a crowbar in a loose toolbox that some idiot worker had left lying around. He took it and began beating the cell lock until it had a dent in it. "That's not doing me any good," he smirked.

"Give me my umbrella and I'll get myself out of here!" Penguin shouted.

"Let's hope I'm not tempted to use it on you, Pengy," Joker glared. He handed the criminal his effects and gestured to Harley and Scarecrow. "Come on, we have a Bat to send to a box." Penguin wasted no time and broke out of his cell and ran off into the night.

They headed back to an abandoned building. A sign worn with age hung on a building with the words LAFF CITY still visible in the dim light. The Joker and Harley entered the building. Joker began prowling through dusty boxes filled with his deadliest weapons: poison gas toxins that killed most victims within minutes or left them in the hospital unless Batman administered an antidote.

The Joker pulled out a uniform, utility belt and mask. He dressed himself in the costume and turned around. "Well Harley, how do I look?"

"You look like Bats, Mr. J," Harley Quinn admitted.

"Good, now that's what you were supposed to think. I'll be out for a long time so hold down the fort."

"Mr. J, can't I come with?" Harley pleaded.

"No! If I get busted you'll have to bail me out, and besides, I need you to look after the hyenas. Come along Dr. That fear gas may come in mighty handy." Harley hung her head and Joker and Scarecrow walked out the door.

He used a grappling hook to swing up to a nearby rooftop and began looking for "trouble" that he could exploit. He saw a young man cleaning up graffiti and decided to take advantage of the situation. Scarecrow followed at a distance and let the Joker have his fun.

He leapt down and landed near the boy. "Whoa, Batman, what are you doing around here? I saw you leaving Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic. Did you get hurt or something?"

"I'm just fine," the Joker said. "In fact, I feel better than I've felt in a long time!" He grabbed the boy by his shirt and removed some poisonous laughing gas from his utility belt. "You know graffiti's a crime and you're probably trying to cover your trail!"

"W-wait a minute," the man shouted. "You're not the Batman! You're the Joker!"

"Since you figured out who I am, I want you to answer a few questions for me. What window did the Batman come out of when you saw him?"

"I'm not gonna tell you nothin'!" the man shouted.

"Oh well; then smile for me—"

"No, no wait; it's the third window across on the fourth floor. Please don't hurt me!"

"I won't hurt you; that's what my gas is for!" The Joker laughed.

"No, no! Stay back! Let go of me! NOOOOO!" he screamed as the Joker sprayed him with the laughing gas. He began to laugh uncontrollably until his face contorted into a hideous grin. The Joker threw him on the street and his smile broadened.

"Thank you sonny, if it weren't for you I wouldn't know where Batsy's girlfriend is." The two villains headed for straight for the clinic. And the third room on the fourth floor.

* * *

Kory awoke with a startled jolt. She had the strange feeling she was not alone. She turned her head and saw her window was open. She thought that was strange since the Batman had closed it. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She saw a tall figure standing in her room. "W-Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm the Batman," the voice replied. She was immediately suspicious. It didn't sound like the Batman, not the one she had talked to earlier. It was someone else, but she wasn't sure who it was.

She reached over and turned on the light. Before her was a tall man. Or at least she thought it was a man. He didn't seem like a human being at all. He looked like the Batman, dressed like the Batman, and talked like the Batman, but there was something about his face that she didn't like.

There was one facial feature that disturbed her: his smile. And if she remembered all the stories about the Batman, they say he never smiled or showed emotion when he was on patrol. Then, to her horror, she remembered Beast Boy's conversation with Cyborg about the man called the Joker.

"You are not the Batman; you are the Man of Jokes!" Starfire said, trying to sound braver than she felt.

"Well, Missy, I've been called many things but no one's ever called me the Man of Jokes before, but I suppose it is true." The Joker's grin widened. "This is my associate, Scarecrow."

"I am not afraid of either of you," Kory said bravely.

"Oh, you're going to be _very _afraid, little girl, when I'm through with you," Scarecrow said, stepping forward. He held up a small spray container filled with his Fear toxin. The Joker suddenly stopped him.

"Hey, this was my idea, so I get to go first!" Kory suddenly blasted him with her eye lasers since it was the only way to defend herself. Joker flew back and hit the wall, leaving a very large hole in it.

Scarecrow was about to spray her when suddenly a Bat-a-Rang cut through the air and knocked the container out of his hand. "Looks like I got here just in time," the Batman said, jumping off the windowsill and landing in a crouch position on the floor.

"Well, well, Batsy, we've been waiting for you," Joker said.

"Nice get up, who invited you to this pajama party?" Batman smirked. He leapt feet first at Joker who blocked his blow and struck back. Batman unleashed a smoke bomb that blinded his foes for a moment. He then threw a viscous punch at the Joker. The blow connected and he stumbled back.

The Batman then turned his attention to Scarecrow. He pulled two grappling hooks from his belt, aiming them at Scarecrow's midsection, he fired. The hooks slammed into Scarecrow, sending him out the window. He hung onto the windowsill and attempted to scramble back up.

Batman turned his attention to Starfire, "Are you alright?"

"Batman, look out!" she cried in warning but it was too late, the Joker had grabbed a crowbar from beneath his cape and struck Batman's skull with it. Taken off guard, he fell to his knees. Scarecrow ran forward and inoculated him with his Fear toxin. His eyes went wide and he began to punch wildly at Scarecrow, who jumped back.

"No, no, I won't let you do this Slade! You won't get away this time!" Batman shouted.

That was all Kory needed to hear, she knew who the Batman really was. With all the strength she had and launched herself at the Joker, smashing her fists into him. She shot him with the lasers from her eyes and hands, blinding him. She grabbed her communicator that was hidden beneath some napkins on the table.

"Titans, the Batman needs help, I am still in the clinic."

"Star, what's going on?" Victor shouted.

"The Joker and the Scarecrow have attacked the Batman!"

"We're on our way!" Cyborg shouted.

Within minutes the Titans appeared in the room. "Titans, go!" Cyborg shouted. The Titans rushed into the battle.

"Beware of the gas, it is dangerous!" The Titans charged him. Raven used her powers to blast Scarecrow back against the wall, the Joker plowed into Cyborg as Beast Boy attacked him from behind.

Scarecrow punched at Beast Boy, who morphed into a tiger and slashed at him. The man jumped back and pulled out some of his Fear toxin. He was about to gas the changeling when Raven used her powers to yank the toxin from him and spray him with it.

He began looking around wildly. "Y-you betrayed me, Joker! Now it's over! You set me up so the Batman could catch me!"

"You must be crazy!" Joker laughed. "I might as well kill you right now!"

"Just go ahead and try!" Scarecrow grabbed another bottle of his toxin and sprayed the Joker with it. The Joker looked at the Titans and shrieked.

"No, no! You won't take me, I'm not afraid of you little snot nosed brats! I'm not gonna let Bats take me in!" The Batman charged into him, kicking and punching furiously.

"No, no! Bats! No!" He cowered on the floor, whimpering.

"It's over, Joker. There's nowhere to go!"

"Oh but there is! I'm afraid you'll all have to die," he pulled out a gun and fired at the Batman before anyone could move. Joker, still under the influence of the panic inducing toxin, jumped out the window like madman. Starfire screamed and Joker threw a gas bomb into the room. The Titans gathered quickly around Raven as Starfire grabbed Batman. She quickly surrounded them with a shield of dark energy just as the bomb exploded.

"Take me…to the Batcave…" the Batman whispered.

"We'll get you there but we don't know how," Cyborg said.

The Batman pushed a button on a communicator. "Alfred…send the Batmobile to the Thomas Wayne Memorial clinic."

"Right away, Sir," Alfred said.

The Batman fumbled for his utility belt, he quickly removed a small vile from it and inhaled quickly. "It's the antitoxin." He gave it to them. "This will protect you from Joker and Scarecrow's toxins."

"That's the least of our worries, you've been shot," Cyborg said.

"I have to stay awake…fight off the toxin…I got exposed to most of it…" Batman blinked. "No…it's not real. It's not real. No!" he began thrashing as he stared around wildly. "Slade… He's here! I can see him."

"Robin, Robin, stop! It is the poison showing you Slade! He is not there!" Starfire shook him. The Titans gaped in shock.

"Robin? That's him under there!" Raven said in shock.

"Oh, Dude…" was all Beast Boy could manage to say.

"I knew it when he hallucinated about Slade before you all arrived. It is him beneath the Batman's mask." Starfire said.

"We're gonna have to get him to the Batcave or wherever before we lose him!" Cyborg shouted. They saw a big black vehicle that looked like a tank pull up beneath the window. It must be the Batmobile. They would have to save their leader at all costs, and it seemed that he was running out of time.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten **

Kory Anders looked around the destroyed room, unsure of what the next step was. The Batmobile was down in the street and she assumed Robin wanted them to take him to the Batcave. But would they be able to stop the bleeding from his gunshot wound? Raven could use her powers but Kory wasn't sure if her friend could safely remove the bullet without causing further damage. 

Just then, Dr. Tompkins bust into the room. "What's going on? I heard a gunshot!" She stared at Dick Grayson in horror. She was one of the few who knew his identity. "I'll have to remove the bullet."

"There's no time Dr. Tompkins!" Cyborg shouted. "He wants us to take him to the Batcave but we don't know where it is."

"Excuse me, young man," a voice said through Batman's communicator. "I can help you get there."

"Who are you and why should we trust you?" Cyborg asked.

"I'm his butler, young Sir," the man replied. "Is Dr. Tompkins coming as well?"

"He wants to know if you're coming," the robotic Titan looked at the elderly doctor.

"Tell him I'm on my way," she said. "You should get him down to the car." Cyborg picked up Batman's limp body and carried him to the elevators. The rest quickly joined them. Starfire looked at her friends.

"We must hurry," she began walking out.

"Star, do you know why he didn't tell us about this?" Beast Boy asked.

"I do not know, he did not tell me he was the Batman. I did not know until he was poisoned by the Scarecrow."

"Did he use his antidote to the toxin?" Dr. Tompkins asked.

"He did not use much of it, he gave it all to us," Starfire answered.

"We need to get him to the Batcave now! The situation's become much more urgent," Dr. Tompkins explained. "Scarecrow's toxin is a panic inducing poison and if he doesn't receive the antidote soon…he'll die from insanity."

"How do you know?" Cyborg asked.

"It doesn't matter right now, what matters is getting him to safety." Dr. Tompkins pushed the down button on the elevator wall. The four floors down to the parking lot seemed like an eternity for the Titans as they waited for the doors to open. The moment they arrived, they practically ran out of the building.

They skidded to a halt in front of the Batmobile. "Now we have a problem," Cyborg murmured.

"What's that?" Beast Boy asked.

"We need two drivers, and we only have one."

"Can't Dr. Tompkins drive the Batmobile?" Beast Boy asked.

"Me drive that? I wouldn't risk myself on it. Driving at high speeds isn't something I'm good at," Dr. Tompkins replied.

"Push…the button on my utility belt," Dick Grayson whispered.

"What?" Cyborg asked.

"The button…push it, now…" Cyborg did as he was told. Within minutes a girl dressed in a suit similar to his appeared.

"Hey, what's going on? I was in the area and got the signal…" She stared at the body. "N-no way! It can't be him! What's he doing, he's supposed to be in the hospital! Wait! That's not _him!_ That's...!" She forced herself to calm down. "What happened to him?"

"The Joker and Scarecrow attacked him. Joker shot him."

"Why'd he call me?" the girl asked.

"I guess he wants you to drive the Batmobile." Cyborg said. "And who are you anyway?"

"Call me Batgirl," she replied. "I'm his sidekick."

"Do you know how to drive that thing?" Raven asked.

"I think so…But I've never actually _driven_ it before."

"That could be a problem."

"Batgirl, what took you so long?" Dick asked, his voice sounded hoarse.

"I've been busy tonight," she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You just hang in there okay?" He nodded feebly. Shutting his eyes, he slipped into the black oblivion of unconsciousness.

"I'll do the best I can. I hope you guys can keep up. The sooner we get him to the Batcave the better."

She took Robin's body from Cyborg and placed him into the passenger's seat. The Titans rushed to the T Car and strapped their seatbelts on. Engines roared and tires squealed as the two cars floored it through the streets of Gotham. Cyborg followed closely behind Batgirl as she weaved her way through cars and traffic. She used Dick's communicator to keep in touch with the Titans.

"Teen Titans we're heading for the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge." Turning a sharp right, they careened past the buildings and shops. They took a turn through Crime Alley, people dove out of the way of the Batmobile as it sped past them.

They rounded the corner across from the Rodger Yacht Basin when gunshots rang through the air and collided with the Batmobile's armored plating. Both Batgirl and Cyborg turned their heads in their cars to see who was shooting at them.

"The Joker!" Batgirl shouted into the communicator. "He's found us!"

"What are we going to do about him?" Cyborg asked.

"We have to outrun him!"

"What if we can't?"

"Then we'll have to put him out of commission so he can't get us!"

"How are we supposed to do that?"

"You have any weapons in that heap? Blast the car off the road, not to kill him, just inhibit him from following us back to the Batcave!" Batgirl shouted. Cyborg saw the Joker stick his head out of the side window and laugh maniacally. He thought he saw Scarecrow at the wheel of the driver's seat.

"Thought you could get away huh Batsy?" Joker sneered. He raised his gun and prepared to fire. Joker's guns were legendary for containing more than just bullets.

Batgirl winced, prepared to feel hot molten metal rip into her body. She glanced over at him and saw to her relieved surprise that Joker had fired the Bang flag instead of the actual handgun. She slammed her foot down on the pedal and let the rubber fly as she attempted to put distance between them.

Cyborg followed suit. The Joker decided to change his mind and began falling back to attack the Titans. He pulled out a machine gun and began shooting at the wheels of T Car. "Come on, come on!" he screamed at the vehicle. "Faster! Faster!"

Raven was sitting in the front seat and looked at him. "You ready to do this?"

He nodded. "Just like when we chased Gizmo. Everyone buckle up and hang on!"

"Cy, I'm doing that already," Beast Boy said loudly.

"Just hang on then!"

Raven closed her eyes and chanted, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" and her energy surrounded the car. Cyborg felt he engines roar beneath him at an unbelievable speed as the car lurched forward. He saw the Kane Memorial Bridge fly beneath him as he saw the Joker's car became smaller and smaller in the distance.

"Listen, guys, we can't exactly have the happy man follow us home," Batgirl reminded him.

"Gotcha loud and clear, little lady," Cyborg pushed a button, activating the T Car's Proton Cannon. "The Joker's not gonna follow us home tonight."

"You're not going to kill him are you?" Raven asked.

"Don't worry Rae; he'll just be stopped from pursuing us to the Batcave." The T Car rocked as the missile rocketed away. Cyborg and the others watched as it collided with the Joker's car and sent it twisting and spinning off the road. He saw that no one was moving and floored it as fast as he could.

"Are we safe?" he asked Batgirl.

"For the most part, I think so." She glanced over at Robin who was in the seat next to her. His eyes were glazed and he kept mumbling about Slade or his parents. "We need to get him the antidote. And as soon as possible, he won't last long like this."

They navigated through neighborhoods until they came to a little used alleyway. Cyborg looked as a sewer grate suddenly opened before them. "You guys just follow me, okay?"

"Okay," he replied.

They began following the Batmobile through a series of dark tunnels. Cyborg couldn't help but feel impressed with the Batman's efforts. He was an expert at concealing ways to his hideout, wherever it was. Batgirl's voice suddenly blared over the communicator.

"You better have some Nitro on that Car of yours," she said.

"Why's that?"

"I forgot Bane took out the bridge when he broke Bruce's back."

"Bruce? Like Bruce Wayne the billionaire?"

"Oh no, if he finds out I slipped he'll kill me," Batgirl groaned. "Don't say a word to anyone about that. I forgot you guys weren't part of the Family."

"Our lips are sealed. But if Bruce is in the hospital, then who's that in the car with you? And what do you mean by 'Family?' Y'all related or something?" Cyborg asked.

"I'll let him tell you when I give him the antidote and treat him for that gunshot wound."

Cyborg watched as she hit the Nitro on the Batmobile and flew over a vast canyon concealed by a gigantic waterfall. He followed suit and felt his stomach do a flip flop as the Car flew over the chasm. The two vehicles landed with loud thuds and they followed her until they came to a stop in a wide open cave. She jumped out and pulled the Titans' leader turned Dark Knight out of the passengers' seat.

"Come on, Robin, just hang on here," Batgirl murmured. She tried to drag the semi conscious vigilante into the Batcave. "Wow, he's heavy." She felt a hand touch her shoulder.

"I can carry him," Starfire said quietly. "You must get the cure for his hallucinations. I will take him."

"Thank you…uh, Starfire isn't it?"

"Yes, how do you know who I am?"

"Let's just say, I keep track of Robin. I'd better get that antidote. Are you sure you can handle him?"

"I have everything under control," Starfire said, hoisting Robin over her shoulder as if he were a sack of potatoes. She walked over and set him down on cot that resembled a hospital bed.

Batgirl gaped a little and muttered, "Don't see that every day." She ran over to the various lab tables set up and grabbed a syringe filled with a dark liquid. "Here's the antitoxin. It should kick in immediately."

"Will he…retain his sanity?" Starfire asked.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. You have no idea how many times he's been sprayed with this stuff over the years…I'm sure he'll pull through, as he always does."

The three other Titans walked over. "So how long have you known Robin?" Cyborg asked.

"Since he was nine or ten, I can't remember which," Batgirl replied. She pulled up the sleeve of his uniform and found a vein. She then injected him with the antidote. She watched as he calmed visibly, his body relaxed and his breathing slowed to a normal pace.

"See, it's kicking in already," Batgirl raised her communicator to her lips. "Alfred? Are you there?"

"Alfred?" Starfire asked. She knew who he was! But what was he doing here? Then she remembered the conversation she had had earlier that day with him. They had talked about Robin. Of course! The man was Robin's butler.

"Loyal as always," he replied.

"Has Dr. Tompkins arrived yet? He's lost a lot of blood."

"She just arrived and we're heading down there as we speak," Alfred said. Batgirl looked up as the butler and the doctor arrived. Exiting the elevator, they walked quickly up to the group huddled around Robin.

"How is he?" Dr. Tompkins asked.

"He's in stable condition," Batgirl replied. "He's fine except for the gunshot wound. Teen Titans meet Alfred Pennyworth. he's a crucial ally in the Family and a close friend."

"Good evening, well Dr. Tompkins, how is Master Robin? Ms. Kory Anders, this is a pleasant surprise."

"Alfred! It is wonderful to see you. You call him 'Master Robin'," Starfire said softly. "You are what Earth humans call a 'butler,' yes?" He nodded. She continued, "I did not know you worked for the Batman. So is Robin really the one underneath the Batman's mask?" The elderly man nodded again. Starfire shook her head, whispering, "I thought so." The others looked at them. Had they met before?

"He's been inoculated with the antitoxin, so he's safe from Scarecrow's poison, but he's not out of danger yet. We're going to have to remove the bullet," Dr. Tompkins said.

"Is there anything we can do to help him, Doctor?" Cyborg asked.

"You can hope for a miracle," the elderly woman said gently. Alfred and Dr. Tompkins walked over to Robin and began carefully removing the mask covering his face.

"What are you doing?" Starfire asked.

"Taking off his mask," Dr. Tompkins replied.

"But we've never taken if off him," Raven said. "He's never taken if off in front of us. He's always been private about it…We don't want to invade his privacy."

"It can't be helped, Ms…?"

"Raven," Raven supplied.

"The only way to remove the rest of his uniform," Alfred explained.

"But can't you take it off and leave the mask on?" Beast Boy asked.

"No, the suit is like body armor, it can't be removed unless the mask is."

"But his Robin uniform—" Cyborg began.

"Is a different type of uniform, young Sir," Alfred said. "I was here when the Batman designed his uniform and I was here when Master Robin's uniform was created. I have a very close and personal relationship with him. I'm his butler, Ms. Anders. It's what I do with my life. It is good to see you again as well." The elderly man smiled gently. "If you will excuse us, we have to remove the bullet before it becomes infected. You may want to go rest. We'll be up for awhile."

"We'll stay up as long as it takes until Robin's okay," Cyborg said firmly.

"I was right about his friends," Alfred said, more to himself. "They _are_ undyingly loyal. He turned around to face them. Well, you may stay up if you wish, but I'm sure Robin wouldn't want you to worry about him."

The Titans walked over to a corner of the Batcave. "How do you know this guy, Star?" Beast Boy asked.

"I met him when I was recovering in the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic," she replied.

"Did you know he worked for Robin?" Cyborg asked.

"No, he said he was a friend of Dr. Tompkins."

"But he's Robin's butler," Raven said. "So that means Robin has money."

"Dude, do we know anyone who has a lot of money?"

"Names escape me at the moment," Raven said. "What we need to worry about is Robin. What if we lose him?"

"We will not lose him," Starfire said adamantly. "He will pull through."

"Hey, what's going on?" Batgirl said, walking over. "I've been keeping an eye on Robin."

"Do you know…who he is under that mask?" Starfire asked.

"Of course I do. He never told you?" she asked in shocked surprise. They looked at her. What was so surprising about that?

"All this time he's worked with you guys and he's never told you his secret identity?" They shook their heads.

"I was right, he _does_ have trust issues," she muttered. "I would think…he would trust you at least, to tell you who he was behind the mask."

"He never talked about it," Raven explained. "We never felt the need to ask him. That's his private life and if he wanted to tell us, he would have."

Batgirl wiped sweat off her forehead. "He's still the same isn't he?" she said half to herself.

"What do you mean?" Starfire asked.

"Oh, he's just so stubborn. You guys are his friends so you know how he gets when he sets his mind on something."

The Titans nodded. They knew this all too well when Robin became obsessed with stopping Slade. He never rested and never stopped until he had put the criminal mastermind away behind bars, Slade had left them last time and they had not seen him since he aided them in saving the world from Trigon. But they knew he would come back one day. They would be prepared for him next time.

They watched as Alfred began removing the Batman's mask from his face. They knew that this was the deepest invasion of Robin's privacy they could ever commit, but Alfred said it was necessary that the mask be removed in order to save him.

The cowl was removed and his teammates pressed forward to catch a glimpse of his face. It was the face they knew so well as their Fearless Leader, the Boy Wonder, but there was something else that shocked them even further. Starfire gasped and finally broke the silence.

"Our Robin is Dick Grayson, the ward of Mr. Bruce Wayne!"

Batgirl had seen his face a thousand times over and smiled quietly. "I've never seen that kind of reaction before."

"Like I said," Cyborg explained. "He never told us what his secret identity was."

"Beast Boy, you may want to eat those words you said about Batman a few nights ago," Raven commented.

"Believe me Raven, I feel like a jerk," Beast Boy said quietly.

"Somehow I knew I was speaking to Robin when Dick Grayson came to see me earlier today."

Batgirl looked at her. "He saw you in the hospital? Are you okay?"

"Yes, Batgirl I am fine," Starfire replied. The rest of the group turned their attention back to the doctor and the butler.

"Dr. Tompkins, will you and Alfred be able to save him?" Cyborg looked at the two physicians.

She asked the Titans to go over to another side of the Batcave so they could immediately begin the operation.

"We will do everything we can," Dr. Tompkins said. "Let's just hope we can perform a miracle."


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

Starfire looked over at Batgirl quietly. "We have not had the chance to properly introduce ourselves. I am Starfire, but you may call me Kory Anders."

"Name's Gar," Gar Logan smiled quietly. "But everyone else just calls me Beast Boy.

"I'm Cyborg," Cyborg reached out and she gave him a firm handshake.

"I'm Raven," Raven said in monotone.

"Glad to meet all of you," Batgirl replied. She reached up and pulled the mask off her face. The Titans saw a young girl with blue eyes and red hair, similar to Starfire. She was about nineteen years old, maybe twenty. "Name's Barbara Gordon, but you guys can call me Babs."

"Gordon? Like Commissioner Gordon?" Cyborg asked.

"Yep, I'm the Comish's kid," Babs smiled.

"So does he know you do this kind of stuff?" Beast Boy asked.

"No, he doesn't know I do this," Babs replied. "It's a lot safer that way. If he knew about it he wouldn't want me to do it."

"I see," Kory looked at her. "You are a friend of Dick Grayson's?"

"Yes."

"So what made Dick become Robin?"

"I'm not sure I should tell you. I'll let him do the talking when he wakes up."

"Okay, so will you tell us about yourself?" Beast Boy asked. "If we can't hear about Dick Grayson, then at least you can tell us about how you became Batgirl."

"You sure are nosy, Gar," Babs laughed. "Okay, I suppose I should tell you something about myself. Obviously, you know who my Dad is, Jim Gordon, Gotham's Police Commissioner. I wanted to become a detective like Dad but he said it was too dangerous, so he put me in gymnastics."

"My friend, Pamela Isley, she's very pro environment. She's all about saving the trees and protecting nature. After she graduates college she wants to become a botanist."

"Well, we broke into this genetics company called Chlorogene. They did research on genetics in plants and stuff and she was adamantly against it. I helped her steal one of the plants, but my dad picked us up and dropped her off at her house."

"Didn't he know she stole the plant?" Beast Boy asked.

"I'm not sure if he knew. That night there was a break in at the Chlorogene building by a man named Temblor. He's one of those work-for-hire mercenary types. Pam had called me on the phone and asked me to help her that night. I told her I couldn't go out 'cause my dad was with me. When I arrived, I discovered she'd hired Trembler to trash the building."

"As you can probably figure out, he wasn't really thrilled to discover that his "Boss" was a teenager. He was about to squash Pam like a bug when The Batman arrived and intervened. He would've gotten me too, but I got away, thanks to gymnastics."

"During the fight, Trembler knocked these huge containers with Chlorogene's chemicals off the ceiling and they landed right on top of Pam."

"That must have been very painful," Kory exclaimed. "Was she okay?"

"Turns out, the containers explode, exposing Pam to whatever chemical Chlorogene had been working on. The Batman defeated Temblor and the ambulance came and took her to the hospital. Dad arrived and he brought me home. He wasn't very happy that I'd been sneaking out with Pam."

"So how did you become Batman's sidekick?" Cyborg asked. "I can see that this is going somewhere."

"Yeah, it is. The moment I saw Batman, I knew he was something incredible, something awesome. And I wanted to be like him. I wanted to do something with my life."

"But was we know Batman likes to work alone."

"You got that right. I wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms. But anyway, let me tell you what happened to Pam. On the way to the hospital, she's going through detoxification to get the chemical out of her system, and well, it backfired."

"Backfired? How?" Kory asked.

"Instead of removing the chemical from, her body absorbed it, mutating her genes. She discovered that she could control plants."

"The only one I've heard of who can do that is Poison Ivy," Raven said. She looked at Babs, realizing an unexpected truth. "You're _friends_ with Poison Ivy? I've heard a lot about her, and it's not good. How can you do that?"

"Yeah, well, she doesn't exactly know about the Batgirl thing. If she did, she probably wouldn't be my friend anymore. She's actually nice, until you get her started about the environment."

"Okay, can you get on with the story?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I know I'm rambling. Well, she paid me a visit that night; she told me she was going to break into Chlorogene. I told her she needed to stop or my Dad would arrest her. She wanted help her and told me to think about it, so she left me alone."

"So what happened after that?" Cyborg asked.

"Well, I get the biggest shock of my young life. I turn on the TV and find out that my Dad has been kidnapped by Poison Ivy. Now I know I have to do something about it and so I go to the G.C.P.D. Headquarters and I fired up the Bat signal."

"Batman showed up and I told him what was going on. He then told me to go home and let him handle Poison Ivy. Well, that didn't exactly settle well with me, so I changed into the costume I created and followed him."

"Well, as you can probably tell, Batman wasn't too thrilled I tagged along. He also ruined everything for me because he somehow figured out my secret identity. He said if I didn't stop, he'd tell my dad. I ignored him and it was a good thing I did because if I'd gone home, Pam's plants would've ate him."

"_Ate_ him?" Beast Boy asked. "That must've been a heck of a night!"

"Yeah, it was," Babs laughed. "I'm trying to get him out of harm's way, and Batman literally attacks Poison Ivy's plants with a chainsaw. It would've worked to, had she not caught him and exposed him to her plant pheromones."

"What do these plant pheromones do?" Kory asked.

"The pheromones Pam emits enable her to control someone exposed to it. It's very dangerous, especially if she has the Dark Knight under mind control."

"He got up and attacked me. I fought him up for awhile. I knew he wasn't going to let up. The only way to solve my problem was to knock sense into him. Literally, I gave him a good kick in the head, and what do you know? It works, he snaps out of his trance and he's back to normal."

"Poison Ivy grabs both of us up and prepares to give us a one way ticket to Harp Land. She made her plants even stronger when she exposed them to water. Now I'm _really_ worried. With her powers upped an ante, she seemed invincible."

"I manage to grab a freeze disk and throw it straight at her, I was hoping to God it would actually hit something 'cause the last time I threw a shuriken, I was aiming for Poison Ivy. I was close, give or take six inches." All the Titans except Raven laughed.

"Well, luck or God must have been with me, 'cause this time I hit the target and Poison Ivy was frozen in her tracks. Mission accomplished, Dad was okay, and the city was safe. And all was well. Later on that night, I asked Batman if he was going to tell my dad about me, and he told me that he'd be more grateful if I told him."

"So he didn't rat you out to your Dad?" Beast Boy asked.

"No, and we've been working together ever since. Batman, Robin, me, we're a Family. We protect the city, much like you guys do. We've all been really close. I suppose you heard about why Robin left."

"I heard it had something to do with the Joker," Cyborg said. "That's true right?"

"Yes it is," Babs replied. "He shot Robin. Batman, Bruce wanted Dick to stop being his sidekick. He refused. He said that Bruce couldn't stop him from being Robin. He says he was too well trained and it was something he couldn't take away. So he left, and went to Jump City. Well, the rest is history…I'm sure you can guess what happened."

"He left and formed the Teen Titans," Raven said quietly. "Is that why he doesn't talk about the Batman?"

"Yes, they haven't been on speaking terms in a long time." Babs looked at the Titans quietly. "Their relationship is very strained."

"So why would he come back?" Kory asked.

"I think Dick felt… he owed it to Bruce. Detective Yin called him and told him about what Bane did to Bruce." Babs looked off into space. "Well, I must be going. If Daddy starts getting suspicious of my nightly activities, I might get busted." Babs Gordon grabbed her mask and put it back on. "I'll see you guys around. Wish I could stay, but I have school tomorrow." She straddled one of the motorcycles and sped off into the night.

The others watched her go. Finally, Beast Boy spoke up. "So why didn't Robin tell us why he came back here? Did he think it was too dangerous or something? Does he want to leave the Titans? I wish I could figure out what the heck is going on."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Don't try to figure it out—you'll just hurt yourself."

"Maybe we should take Alfred's advice and get some sleep," Cyborg said. The others protested. "We can't expect to defend Gotham if we're half asleep. Besides, he said it's what Robin would want." The others begrudgingly agreed and got ready to go to bed.

Cyborg walked over to where Alfred and Dr. Tompkins were operating on Robin. "We're going to go to bed now. Can you tell us if there are any changes?"

"Of course, Master Cyborg," Alfred replied.

"Please call me Victor Stone," Victor said quietly. "It'll be easier that way."

"I will inform you immediately Victor if there are any changes," Alfred smiled.

"How's he doing?" Vic asked.

"He's doing well; we removed the bullet from his stomach and sewed him up. He should regain consciousness soon. He's a very lucky boy, it barely missed spine. If it would have, he would have been paralyzed from the waist down."

"That's good news," Victor looked over at the other Titans. "Where are the blankets? We're ready to go to bed now."

"Oh, they're over in the closet."

"Thank you, Alfred." Victor grabbed the blankets and pillows and went back to his friends. The others prepared for bed and pulling the sleeping bags over their heads, they slept. It was two in the morning when they went to bed and Babs had left at midnight.

Alfred watched the robotic Titan walk over to his friends. He sighed, the operation had gone well, but Dick's state was much like Kory's, he hadn't regained consciousness yet. The pallor color of his face was a ghostly white. Shaking his head, he looked over at Dr. Tompkins.

"How is he Dr. Tompkins? Has there been any change at all?"

"He's steady for now, Alfred. We've done all we can. Now all he has to do is wake up." They both looked over at the unconscious vigilante.

Seven hours later, they still waited for any sign of recovery. They took turns sleeping, each watching for his eyes to flicker open. Alfred rubbed his eyes, trying to wipe the sleepiness from them. He looked over as he heard a soft murmuring voice chanting strange words. "Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos. Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos."

"Ah, I see you're up Ms. Raven. Would you like some breakfast?"

"Herbal tea would be nice," she replied.

"I will get that for your right away, Ms. Would you watch Master Dick for me please? I don't want to wake Dr. Tompkins. She needs more sleep than I do."

"Sure, how is he?"

"He is in stable condition. He should wake up any time now." Raven looked over at her leader in silence. So it was all revealed now. What she had seen in his mind confirmed it. He was Dick Grayson, member of the acrobatic troupe, the Flying Graysons, and heir of Wayne Industries. She wondered why he had to keep himself hidden from them. Didn't he trust them enough to share his secrets?

"If you'll excuse me Ms., I shall go upstairs and fetch your tea as well as breakfast for the others. I'm sure they're starving."

"Thanks…Mr. Pennyworth."

"Do call me Alfred, Master Dick does."

"Thanks Alfred." Alfred turned on his heel and headed upstairs to fetch Raven some tea.

She sighed and focused her energies on Robin's inert body. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." She began to heal him, it helped Starfire and she knew it would help Dick Grayson now. Alfred had said he was in stable condition, but he wasn't conscious.

"Come on, Robin. Wake up!"

"Raven, is there any change?" Raven looked up. She saw Kory walking over to her looking exhausted.

"No, Kory. Not yet. He hasn't moved since we arrived."

"If he does not wake up…I will never forgive myself."

"Why do you say that, Kory? It's not your fault he's hurt."

"No Raven, it is my fault. He was trying to protect me from the Joker and the Scarecrow. He is in a coma because of me, and it is my fault that he could die."

"Kory, he isn't going to die. Barbara Gordon said he's been sprayed by the toxin before."

"But he has not been shot at the same time either."

"That's true, but he'll be alright."

"Hey, is he okay?" Gar asked, walking over with Victor.

"He's stable, that's what Alfred told me. But he hasn't moved at all."

"Can't you heal him Raven?"

"I don't know. I've tried already."

"Kory…" a voice wheezed out.

"Dick?" Kory asked. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes…" Dick whispered. "Where am I?"

"The Batcave," Victor replied.

"What happened to me?"

"You've been shot."

"The Joker…I remember…Why did you follow me here?"

"You're our leader, that's what we do. We follow you," Victor said. "So why'd you come back here in the first place?"

"It can wait, Victor. Let me rest a little. I'll tell you once I feel better." His teammates stared at him without a word.

"Do you want us to leave?"

"No, not really, I could use your help fixing up the Batcave. I'm sure Victor would love to get his hands on a $50 million computer, I'm going to need it up and running soon so if Vic can help me with that I would appreciate it."

"Is there anything else we could do for you…Dick?" Kory asked.

"Well, there is one more thing."

"What?"

"Take care of Ace for me."

"Ace?"

"My dog, the one that I walked in the park; he's mine. I left him upstairs."

"Well Dick, he followed Alfred downstairs." Ace came bounding into the room. Looking over at Dick, he trotted up and placed his head on his master's knees.

"Hey, old boy, you miss me huh?" Ace wagged his tail happily. Kory reached down and scratched his head.

"I did not know you owned a dog," Kory smiled.

"Bruce wouldn't let me take him with me when I left. He's one of the few things I miss in Gotham City." He sighed, "It's one thing that always bothered me. I found the dog so I should've been allowed to keep him, but Bruce wouldn't have it."

"I see," Kory smiled. Victor looked over at Dick quietly.

"So when are you gonna tell us why you came back? You owe us an explanation," Victor said. Raven sat beside him in silence.

"Let's eat lunch first," Dick suggested. The others agreed so he had Alfred make them something to eat. It was 12 by the time lunch was ready. The Titans sat around Dick's bed and he ate his food on a platter. Alfred stood a short distance away, tinkering with one of the damaged computers.

"Where shall I start?" Dick asked.

"How 'bout how you became Robin, that's what we'd all like to know. Babs wouldn't tell us anything."

"She's one to keep secrets. Well, anyway, it's time I tell you the truth. My name is Richard John Grayson. As some of you probably know, my parents were the Flying Graysons. I'm sure that some of you heard about the Graysons murder. Since Starfire doesn't know, I'll tell you what happened."

"A man named Tony Zucco tried to get my Dad John, the manager of Haly's Circus to buy "protection" from him. Mr. Haley knew it was an extortion racket and refused. Later that night, the Flying Graysons were performing their trapeze act. They were executing the Triple Spin, which is a very difficult aerial acrobatic to pull off. I was about to join them in their act when I noticed the bolts that held the screws in place were missing."

"That was the worst night of my life. I could only watch as my parents' plunged to their deaths during their flying trapeze act. Everyone thought it was an accident, but I knew Zucco was the one responsible for their deaths. Jim Gordon wanted to place me in a safe house, when Bruce Wayne offered to take me in."

"When I first moved to Wayne Manor, I had no idea that Bruce Wayne was the Batman. I lived here with Alfred and I felt very lonely. I discovered Bruce's alter ego when he saved my life after I tried to go after Tony Zucco on my own."

"After I followed Batman to the circus and prevented Zucco from throwing a knife through his head, he saved my life after Zucco nearly beat me to death. When Zucco tried to escape by climbing hte trapeeze plaform, he nearly fell off out of fear when he saw Batman up there with him.

I managed to grab him and brought him up to Batman. After it was over, Batman crime offered me a chance I couldn't refuse. He made me made me his official partner, I chose my codename Robin, because it was my mother's term of endearment for me. After that, he trained me and made me his sidekick."

"But you two drifted apart," Cyborg said.

"Yes, we did. Since you know about the incident with the Joker, I suppose I don't need to tell you that story."

"But why did this happen?" Kory asked.

"I suppose it's because, I wanted to make a name for myself. I wanted to get out from under his shadow. Be my own man. Have people see me as my own person and not Batman's sidekick."

"And that's just what I did. I left Wayne Manor and founded the Teen Titan. I came back because a mercenary named Bane attacked Bruce, he broke his back, and now the citizens of Gotham have no defense against the criminals who escaped from Arkham Asylum."

"And you didn't mention this before you left because?" Raven asked.

"It was urgent that I leave for Gotham. I didn't have time to explain. I had to keep my arrival a secret."

"Well it's kind of hard to keep an arrival a secret when there's a press conference."

"Dick Grayson's just a mask, Raven. The true face of Dick Grayson is Robin. Now that I've become the Batman, that is my true self and who I really am. That is the truth, and that's all I can say."

"Dick…Why did you not tell us this before?" Kory asked.

"He told me not to," he replied.

"Is that the truth? Barbara said you have trust issues."

"Maybe I do, but I did what Bruce asked and kept my identity a secret. Until now, I had to tell you because if you didn't know, I knew you would find out when you followed me here."

"So what are we going to do, now that we know who you are? You're not going to send us home are you?" Raven asked.

"No, I need all the help I can get here. I need you to find someone for me. His name is Tim Drake. He's Batman's third Robin. Depending on where you find him, he sometimes calls himself Alvin Draper, as an alias if you find him in somewhere…seedy. He infiltrates criminal covers to scope out the area for us."

"How are we going to know when we find this Tim Drake?" Cyborg asked.

"Oh, you'll know. You'll know. Just tell him he has a 'family meeting' he has to go to. He'll understand."

"But I thought you said at that press conference that he had retired."

"Yes, that may be true, but that doesn't mean he's not trying to help us."

"Okay, where do we start looking?"

"Brentwood Academy, that's where he goes to school, you should be able to find him there, he's well known by the students. Here's a picture of him." Dick handed them a photograph of Tim Drake without the Robin uniform.

"So how do we introduce ourselves?"

"Just say you're a friend of mine. He's knows about the Titans so he'll understand what's going on. He's brilliant for a thirteen-year-old."

"Okay, we'll find him for you," Cyborg said.

Victor kept himself busy for a few hours waxing his car and buffing the dents from the car chase with Scarecrow and Joker out of the metal. Kory went into another room to change her bandages while the rest of the Titans changed into civilian clothing and got into the T Car. Victor pushed a button and transformed his car into its disguised form. The Titans headed upstairs while Victor pulled the car out of the Batcave and pulled up to the front of the house so he appeared to be picking them up.

Dick Grayson watched them go quietly. Sighing, he lay back on the bed and tried to rest. A few minutes later Alfred came downstairs and looked at him.

"Excuse me Master Dick, but Detective Yin is here to see you, she wants to know how you're doing since you were injured. Since she knows about your secret identity should I let her come down to the Batcave?"

"How does she know I was injured?" Dick asked.

"I told her, Sir. I thought you trusted her with your secret."

"I trust her with the secret of my identity but I don't know if letting her come down here is a good idea Alfred…"

"You aren't in any condition to walk upstairs right now, Sir. I suggest that you let her come down here. It would be easier on you."

"Okay Alfred, you win. Let Detective Yin come downstairs." A few minutes later, Alfred returned with Detective Yin.

"I heard about the attack on the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic. Are you hurt? They said there were gunshots but nobody saw anything."

"I'm hurt Detective, but everyone in the hospital is safe from Joker and Scarecrow. The Titans stopped them on the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge."

"That's what I came to talk to you about. We received an anonymous tip; I think it was Alfred, that Joker and Scarecrow crashed their getaway car on the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge. When the police arrived at the scene, they were nowhere to be found."

"What?" Dick demanded.

"There was no sign of them there. Either they fell of the bridge or they escaped on foot. Why didn't the Titans stay with them until we got there?"

"I wasn't conscious when Joker and Scarecrow crashed on the bridge. They were trying to bring me back here when that happened and that's why they couldn't stay with them."

"Jim Gordon's having some of our guys drag the river. Do you think they're gone for good?"

"I highly doubt that. Madness can make men survive the impossible."

"I see. So you think they're still out there."

"Yes."

"What happened to you?"

"Joker shot me in the stomach. I'm lucky to be alive. Scarecrow sprayed me with his Fear toxin."

"I'd better let you go then, thank you for the information Detective," Dick replied gratefully."

"You're welcome, Mr. Grayson. I'd better be heading back to the Station. My colleagues are probably wondering where I am. I'll let you know if I see anything," Detective Ellen Yin said quietly

He silently watched her leave the Batcave. Things had become more complicated. He hoped the Titans could find Tim Drake in time. Batman needed a Robin now more than ever.

* * *

Climbing into the car, they headed west toward Brentwood Academy. It was about three-o'-clock and school was letting out in 15 minutes. He stared down at the photograph of Tim Drake, watching for anyone who met his description walking out the door. 

"Do you see him?" Raven asked.

"Not yet." Victor waited a few more minutes. The clock on the dashboard read 3:15. He heard the bell ring and looked at the students came pouring out the door.

"I think I see him. He's in the white shirt and khaki pants. He's the kid with the backpack," Gar said. Kory, Raven and Victor turned their attention to where Gar had pointed. A young man walked out the door in a white shirt and khaki pants was heading towards the parking lot.

"How do we get his attention?" Kory asked.

"I'm going to ask him if he's Tim Drake," Victor said. He rolled down the window as the boy passed by the car.

"Hey, are you Tim Drake?" He whirled around and stared at him.

"Maybe," he said warily. "Why do you want to know?"

"We're friends of Dick Grayson. You know him right?"

"Yes I do. So what do you guys want?"

"Dick wanted us to tell you he needs to see you."

"Really? What for?"

"Well, let's just say there's a family meeting and he needs you to be there."

"Okay, I'll ride back with you," Tim replied. Victor knew by the answer he had given him that he was Tim Drake. He climbed in the front passenger seat. The other Titans were seated in the back.

"Don't even tell me who you are," Tim looked at them. "You're the Teen Titans, and Dick sent you to come and pick me up because Joker and Scarecrow shot him." Kory gaped at him.

"How did you know that?" she asked.

"I saw you four on TV when you guys stopped the Riddler. The security cameras at the city's computer mainframe taped your fight with Riddler. I heard about the attack on the Thomas Wayne Memorial Hospital. I heard on the news that there had been gunshots when Joker and Scarecrow attacked one of the patients, that would be her," he pointed at Kory.

"What made me put two and two together about the Joker shooting Dick Grayson was that he hasn't shown up at Wayne Enterprises all day."

"Doesn't he usually go in late?" Gar asked.

"Not at 3:30 in the afternoon. Usually he comes in about 2:00 if he's in town. I knew he came back because of the press conference. And I know he's Batman because Bruce Wayne still in the hospital."

"But how do you know that the Man of Jokes attacked me in the hospital?"

"Well, the fact that I can see some of the gauss from the bandages on your stomach through your shirt, I kind of figured it out because the gauss in those bandages that you're using is the kind that the Thomas Wayne Memorial Hospital orders. And I did some research on the hospital records and it listed you as Kory Anders. I recognized your face from the news although you're out of uniform.

"You're Victor," he pointed at him, "And Gar and Raven and Kory. So why did he want you guys to pick me up?"

"How do you know our names?"

"I did plenty of research."

"He wanted us to pick you up because Batman needs a Robin," Victor said. Tim Drake's face seemed impassive for a moment. Then, he broke out into a wide smile.

"You guys don't know how long I've been waiting to hear that."


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

"How long have you been retired from being Robin, Tim?" Cyborg asked.

"About six months," he replied. "I've been really bored lately. And now my life's a lot more complicated since my Dad died."

"I am sorry," Kory said quietly.

"Thanks, Kory, but I'm okay, really. Right now Social Services is trying to figure out what to do with me. Bruce was trying to adopt me when Bane broke his back. Now the process has slowed down a lot since he's recovering."

"Oh, so what are you going to do in the meantime?" Gar asked.

"Well, you guys said Dick wanted to meet with me so right now I'm going to go back with you to the Batcave."

"Okay, we'd better be getting back there. Dick's waiting for us."

Victor drove the T Car back to Wayne Manor and pulled into the driveway. The five teens climbed out and went inside the mansion.

They made their way into the Batcave. The Titans walked with Tim over to Dick Grayson, a wry smile on his face. "Are you so lazy that you have to send your friends to pick me up Dick?"

"Stop being so sarcastic Tim, I couldn't be seen with you like this. I'd draw too much attention to myself."

"Yeah, yeah, I know about the Joker shooting you. So how're you doing?"

"I'm okay, for the most part," Dick replied. "I assume you know why I asked you to come here."

"Yes, you want me to become Robin again. I've been waiting for the day since my Dad made me retire."

"I'm sorry about your Dad you know."

"Thanks, I'm fine really."

Dick placed a hand on Tim's shoulder. "I know what it's like to lose someone you love."

"I know, I was there at Haley Circus too. I took that picture with you and your parents before they died."

"Yes, it was nice of your mother to send me that picture."

"You still have it right?"

"It's at home in the Tower."

"Good, it's nice to know you kept it." Tim smiled. "So, you want me to suit up as Robin, then what?"

"You and the Titans will be going out on patrol tonight."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Grayson," Lucius Fox said, walking through the elevator.

"Alfred? You brought him down here?" Dick asked.

"Yes, Master Dick. I didn't think it would be wrong to let him come down here, since he knows about all of this."

"I see. So Lucius, what are you doing here?"

"I heard about your gunshot wound, That Nomex survival suit, it held up well?"

"For the moment, it did, but the bullet pierced the suit."

"It must have been a straight shot. How far away was he?"

"About…two or three feet. It depends, I can't remember."

"That suit's bulletproof?" Cyborg asked.

"This'll stop a knife," Lucius replied.

"So what do you do for work, Mr.?

"Fox," he supplied. "I work at Wayne Industries/Enterprises."

"So you've known about this all along?"

"Not all along, I figured it out after awhile. Let me take a look at that suit. I brought some Kevlar and armor plating to see if I can repair it."

"Good, how long do you think it will take?"

"A few hours, maybe. I should be done before tonight."

"Good, I plan on going out."

"Tonight? Didn't you hear the weather?" Tim asked. "It's supposed to be a lunar eclipse."

"So? Does that mean something?"

"Have you forgotten what that means, Dick? Tonight is Halloween, and I plan to go trick-or-treating."

"Tim, you're thirteen, and you still go trick-or-treating?" Dick asked.

"Come on, Dick? Where's the kid in you? It's the one night of the year I can go around in my Robin uniform and get free candy for it! Besides that, tonight is Grundy's Night!"

"Ah yes, Solomon Grundy, Gotham's legendary zombie. How could I forget?"

"Legendary zombie? There are zombies in Gotham City?" Gar asked nervously.

"But what is the Night of Grundy?" Kory asked.

"I don't really believe in the legend of Solomon Grundy but I suppose since Tim brought it up, he should tell you about it." He looked at Tim Drake. "Grundy's all yours, Tim."

"The legend of Solomon Grundy, it began about 150 years ago when Gotham City was being developed by European immigrants. There's a swamp outside the mansion of Virginia and Georgia Bolton. The swamp was once a lake and the immigrants who worked for some businessmen lived around it."

"was a business man in Gotham, along with two other men named Winslow, and Parish. They were architects and when they were building the city they began to use the lake as a dumping ground for chemicals. The immigrants around the lake protested but they continued dumping chemicals in the water, contaminating it."

One night, a group of the immigrants gathered together one night. It was rumored they practiced magic. It was said they conjured Solomon Grundy from the chemicals in the lake to haunt the descendants of Bolton, Winslow, and Parish. They say he only comes out on Hallows Eve if the moon is in full eclipse. It's also said that it isn't supposed to happen for 150 years."

"So this Solomon Grundy is supposed to come out of the swamp _tonight?_" Gar asked.

"So the legend says," Tim answered.

"Do you actually believe in that?" Cyborg asked.

"The legend of Solomon Grundy?" Tim looked thoughtful. "Hmm…it depends on which parts of the story I suppose. I believe the businessmen contaminated the lake and that the immigrants protested. But Solomon Grundy, I suppose there could be some truth to him, but who knows? He's not shown his face for 150 years."

"That is a most terrifying story," Kory said. "Is that why Gotham is so creepy?"

"I have no idea, Kory."

"That story's even scarier than when Raven watched a horror movie and unleashed monsters on Titans Tower!"

"I highly doubt Grundy's that scary," Tim smiled. "Well, I suppose I've told enough ghost stories for today. I guess I'd better get changed huh Dick?"

"You probably should, we've got a long night, and the Joker's still at large."

"I heard he disappeared after crashing on the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge."

"He did. And who knows what he'll do since tonight's Halloween, he might try to do something drastic."

"I'm more worried about Grundy than Joker."

"Come on Tim, you said you didn't believe in the legend."

"I said I wasn't sure about _parts_ of the legend, that doesn't mean I don't believe that Grundy exists."

"You're such a nerd, Drake."

"Circus acrobat," Tim shot back.

"Hey, don't go there."

"Fine, _sidekick_."

"Shut up you little dweeb!"

"I can still beat your butt even though I haven't been Robin as long as you have!"

"Oh yeah? I can K.O. you while sitting here in bed!"

"Please, no more mean talking!" Kory shouted, stepping between them. The two teens looked at her, then glanced at each other. The awkward silence was followed by simultaneous bursts of laughter. Kory was confused and stared at them.

"Everything's okay, Kory," Dick laughed. "We're not arguing, it's just a bunch of inside jokes between the two of us. We're fine, really."

"Oh, for a moment I thought you two were actually arguing," Kory blushed pink with embarrassment. The other Titans looked at the two teens mystified. The two boys smiled at her and Tim looked at Dick.

"How are you going to go out tonight? You're not exactly up and walking."

"I'm not too worried about that, Raven can help me recover with her healing power."

"How long will that take?"

"A few hours, I'm not sure."

"What shall we do in the meantime?"

"Hmm…let me think," Dick frowned. "I should let Raven use her healing powers on me so I can go out on patrol tonight."

"That won't be a problem," Raven replied. "Anything else the others should do?"

"Well, if you all wouldn't mind, I would greatly appreciate if you all would help Tim straighten out the Batcave."

"No problem Dick, come on y'all, we've got work to do!" Victor said as the others joined him in cleaning the Batcave. Raven stopped for a moment and turned back to him.

"Is there anything you can do to help me?" he asked.

"My powers only go to a certain extent, but I used it when Kory was in the clinic and I think it helped her." She placed a hand on his shoulder and chanted, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." Dick felt her power move through his body, and felt himself healing immediately.

"Is it better, Dick?" Raven asked.

"Yes, I feel well again, thanks to you. If you guys will excuse me, I'll go buy us dinner, and when I get home we'll eat."

"Well, Mr. Grayson, I'll walk out with you," Lucius said and joined him in the elevator. "The suit's fixed and it should work for you. If you ever need anything, let me know."

"I will Lucius, I will," Dick replied.

Beast Boy looked up. "Hey, since when did you get to go get dinner while we clean your basement?"

"That's the way it is, Gar! I'll be back in a little bit, you guys just keep cleaning!" Dick turned and left them behind.

* * *

Dick pulled the car to a screeching halt in front of the convenience store. Climbing out, he headed inside. He quickly picked up some TV dinners, precooked chicken, and some bagged salad. He waited in the checkout line and paid for his groceries.

Walking out toward his car, he prepared to leave. Suddenly, he stopped. Turning to his right he saw a young boy, about six years of age, sobbing softly. He halted, turned and walked back to him. He sat down on the curb beside the boy.

"What's the matter? Are you okay?"

"No," the boy replied, wiping the tears from his eyes. "My friends made fun of my costume."

"Really? That wasn't very nice. Who are you going be this Halloween?"

"I'm dressing up as Batman," he replied.

"Oh, well Batman's really cool."

"But my friends don't think he is."

"You're friends don't know what they're talking about. Don't worry about them. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun tonight. What's your name?"

"Terry McGuiness," the boy answered.

"Well Terry, don't you worry about what people say about your costume. You like Batman, and Batman's a cool guy. One day Batman might retire, and who knows, you could be the next one to be Batman."

"You really think so?" Terry asked.

"It could happen. You just have fun tonight. Wear whatever you want, okay? Don't' listen to people if they laugh at you."

"Okay," Terry smiled. Dick stood up from the curb.

"You have a happy Halloween, alright?"

"Thank you," Terry shouted, "what's your name?"

"Dick Grayson."

"Wait, you're that famous boy on TV!" Terry exclaimed.

"Now I don't know if I'm famous, but I was on TV."

"I have to go now. Good-bye, Terry."

"Bye, Dick!"

Dick walked off to his car, carrying his groceries. Climbing into the car, he began driving back to Wayne Manor.

He picked up a cell phone and dialed Babs' number into it. The phone rang. "Hello?" the voice asked.

"Hey Babs, its' me," Dick replied.

"Oh, Dick you're awake! Thank God. I was worried about you. Your friends were going to call me when you were up. Where are they?"

"They're back at Wayne Manor cleaning up the Batcave for me."

"Always the drill sergeant, huh?" Babs quipped.

"Babs, knock it off! I was actually calling you about something serious."

"Oh really? What's that?" she asked.

"Are you available to go out on patrol tonight?"

"Sorry, no can do Dick. I promised dad I'd help him distribute candy to the kids in the neighborhood. Maybe tomorrow I can, don't' want to blow my cover, you know."

"That's fine, I have enough help tonight. I'll tell the others."

"Thanks, Dick. I'm glad you're better."

"You're welcome. I have to go now. Bye."

"Bye." She hung up the phone." Dick pulled into the driveway of Wayne Manor as he hung up the phone. Getting out, he put the food in the kitchen. Then he headed down to the Batcave.

"So how's it going down here?" he asked.

"It's just great we got the computer working again!" Victor shouted.

"Perfect and dinner's upstairs, TV dinners, chicken and salad are waiting upstairs."

"Alright, I'm starving dude! Let's eat!"

They made their way upstairs and began eating dinner. Dick kept the conversation light, talking about the weather, sports and current events. The talking and the laughter made him smile; it was almost as if his life were normal. It felt good to spend time with his friends, without masks, without secrets.

"Well, I met and interesting person today."

"Who was it?"

"His name was Terry McGuiness. He's dressing up as Batman this year."

"Neat,"Gar said.

"Yeah, he was crying because his friends made fun of his costume."

"Aw, poor kid. You talked to him about it?" Gar asked.

"Yeah," Dick replied. "He cheered up right away."

"Ace?" Dick looked over at his dog curiously. "What are you barking at?" The dog was staring out the window barking insistently. He turned his gaze out the window. He saw the Batsignal and looked back at his friends as they stared along with him."

"Well guys, it looks like we'll get to go out after all," Tim said.

"And what would Halloween be if I didn't get to wear **_my_** costume?" Dick asked, raising an eyebrow. Tim looked at him and snickered.

"I suppose Halloween would be boring without you."

"You guys read to go?" Dick asked the Titans.

"We're ready if you are," Cyborg replied. The others quickly pushed aside their plates and asked where the bathrooms were to go change their clothes. In a few minutes they were ready to leave Wayne Manor.

"Where's Babs?" Beast Boy asked. "Isn't she coming tonight?"

"She has to pass out candy to the kids in her neighborhood with her dad so she won't be joining us tonight."

"Oh," Beast Boy said, his question answered.

Heading over the piano, Dick pressed down the keys that unlocked the secret entrance to the elevator that led down the Batcave. The six teens crowded in and dropped down the cave.

"What gave you the crazy idea that we should all cram in here?" Beast Boy asked.

"This wasn't my idea, it just happened. So stop complaining!"

"Alright, dude, alright!" The Titans climbed out and headed to their cars.

"Just follow my lead," Dick said after he slipped into costume.

"That won't be a problem," Cyborg replied.

"Where are we going?" Raven asked.

"The Police Station," he replied. "Jim Gordon will be waiting for us."

"I see you're all dressed up for Halloween," Jim quipped, staring at the Titans. "It's nice to see you again."

"What's happening?" Batman asked.

"Virginia and Georgia Bolton claim that Solomon Grundy will attack them tonight."

"You're not serious!" Batman kept his voice skeptical. "You don't actually _believe_ the legend, do you?"

"I'm skeptical, and I don't want to use police resources to investigate an urban legend, as you well know." Dick smirked at his comment. "But the legend does have some truth to it which is why I'm requesting, as a favor that you go and talk to them."

"Chasing stories and urban legends, should make for an interesting evening." He turned and the Titans followed him as he leapt off the edge of the rooftop and glided down to the ground.

"So where are we going first?" Beast Boy asked.

"To Virginia and Georgia Bolton's mansion, there may be some truth to that old legend."

"I thought you didn't believe in the legend, Dick," Tim commented. "You think it's just a myth, don't you?"

"I don't, but all myths contain some element of truth."

"Who told you that?"

"It's a quote from Tolkien."

"Oh, right." Tim shrugged his shoulders. "First stop, the Bolton Mansion."

"They arrived at the Bolton Mansion, pulling the Batmobile to a halt in front of the house. Cyborg pulled up beside him and they climbed out of their cars. Heading towards the door, Dick knocked on it.

"Hello children," Georgia Bolton said, opening the door. "Are you here for candy?"

"No, this is Batman, Ms. Bolton," Dick said quietly.

"Oh, come in, come in. We've been expecting you." She opened the door for them. Batman and the Titans walked into the vast hallways. Dick looked around, they were an opulent family; the Boltons had a fortune from the early days when their grandfather was the architect building Gotham City.

"You know Grundy's coming tonight, sonny," Georgia stated simply.

"There's no proof that Grundy exists. He's just an urban legend."

"Some people say you're an urban legend," she replied.

"Hmm…" Dick Grayson was thoughtful. "I came to ask you some questions." I don't' suppose you believe in Solomon Grundy do you?"

"Solomon Grundy? No, no, no, he's just a story we like to scare kids with! And we have Grandfather to thank for all the money!" The old woman raised a wine glass to her lips. "Here's to you, Grandfather, for all the money you left us!"

There was a low moaning creek emitting from a wall. Beast Boy turned his head in the direction of the sound. "Dude, I heard something," he said to Cyborg. Seven heads turned to stare at an empty wall. The wall fell with a resounding smash as a hulking figure leapt through, snarling loudly.

"Destroy!" the voice said, low and growling. _"DESTROY!"_

"It's Grundy!" Georgia screamed in terror "He's come to kill us!"

Grundy gave a low growl and started towards the elderly woman who shrunk back in fear. Tim Drake jumped forward. "Titans, go!"

The four other Titans stared at him. "You heard him," Dick said, trying to get them to take the hint._ "Go!"_

The Titans rushed the hulking, zombie-like figure as Batman launched a Bat-a-Rang at him. Springing forward, he smashed his fist into the creature, trying to strike it. The figure dodged and reached out a gnarled hand and flung him across the room. Somersaulting, he landed on his feet and charged forward.

Robin launched himself at Grundy with a flying kick. He felt the impact snake through his bones as the zombie blocked and struck back. Cyborg blasted him with his Sonic Cannon. The creature screamed, his wild white hair whipped in the wind and his sunken yellow eyes winced with pain.

Tim did a double take. Grundy could feel pain? He whipped out a Bo Staff and smashed it into Grundy's midsection. Grundy flew backwards and smashed into a wall. Beast Boy morphed into a rhinoceros and buried his horn into the monster's side.

Starfire charged straight at Grundy, Starbolts blazing. She sent a flurry of shots that sent mud flying in all directions. Grundy howled in agony. Raven rose into the air, hands raised. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" She levitated a table and smashed it into Grundy sending him across the room and into a wall. Cyborg made a running leap and landed on Grundy's shoulders.

Activating his Sonic Cannon, Cyborg started blasting his target. Grabbing Cyborg by his robotic leg and hurled him across the room. Batman, with a flying leap, executed a Phoenix Eye Fist, smashing the zombie's face.

Staggering back, Grundy tried to throw him off as Robin launched a Freeze Disc at him. The disc activated on contact, paralyzing Grundy in his tracks. Solomon Grundy used all his strength to burst his bonds as he smashed the ice barrier holding him and sent Batman stumbling back in surprise.

Beast Boy morphed into a T-Rex and roared loudly. He struck out with his tail, smashing it into Grundy's midsection. He flew back and hit the wall. Cyborg fired constantly, trying to hit someone who refused to stay still. He kept jumping and leaping out of the way.

"What does it take to stop you?" Cyborg screamed.

"How should I know? He's a zombie!" Tim quipped. Their banter was interrupted by Grundy's fist as he swept them aside with a blow.

Raven used her powers to rip the metal grate off the burning fireplace and sent it flying into Grundy's head. It was filled with hot ashes and the searing coals burned his face. He took the grate and threw it back at Raven. Startled, she didn't see it coming in time and felt the hard metal rake the side of her face. She winced at pain from the burningmetal as she felt herself hit the floor.

"Raven!" Beast Boy said, running over to her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Where's Grundy?" She looked up to see the others piling themselves on top of Grundy, trying to hold him back from Georgia Bolton who was desperately looking for her sister in the house. She tore out of the room, screaming for her sister Virginia to get out of the house.

"Oh no!" Raven shouted, looking over at a rug on the floor, a hot coal hit the rung and set it ablaze. Dick was worried. Now the main priority was getting the two women out of the house. Distracted, he didn't notice Grundy was preparing to escape.

"Virginia!" Georgia screamed. "Virginia! Get out of here! Grundy's come for us and the house is on fire!"

Unexpectedly, Grundy threw the teen heroes off and sent them sprawling onto the floor. He turned and smashed a central pillar, shattering it to pieces. Then he turned and ran into the night as Dick tried to climb to his feet.

Time began organizing the Titans. "Quick, find Virginia and Georgia Bolton. Now!" The Titans immediately spread out, looking for the two women. They found them trapped in the hallway, the ways was blocked by rubble. Cyborg and Starfire began trying to open the way for them to get out.

"This is taking too long!" Cyborg shouted. "The fire's getting closer!"

Batman grabbed a Bat-a-Rang from his utility belt and threw it into the rubble. "Get back, everyone!" he ordered and they all backed away. There was a beeping noise right before the rubble exploded. Batman shielded the elderly women with his cape while the others took cover behind the pillars.

"Robin, get the Boltons out of here!"

"Where are you going?" he shouted back.

"I need to get something!" he quickly sprinted back into the living room. There it was, just as he suspected it would be. He stooped down and picked up the smudge of clay with a pair of tweezers. He placed the sample in his utility belt. Now he had to get out of there before the house fell on him.

Dashing out of the crumbling mansion, he joined his friends as the house collapsed into a burning heap. "Are they alright?" he asked.

"Yes," Cyborg replied.

"We've lost everything. All because of Grundy, he did this before years ago, but we recovered from it."

"Wait? He did this before?" Batman asked. Something didn't fit. If Grundy had done this before, then the legend was either wrong or…a thought struck him like a lightning bolt. He had a feeling that there was more to this than met the eye. He had to run an analysis on the mud he'd found after Grundy left.

Sirens blared as the police arrived. Detective Yin and Commissioner Gordon got out of their patrol cars. "What happened?" he asked.

"Grundy attacked us," Georgia explained to him. "It's because of what are family did to those immigrants ages ago."

"We don't have proof of Grundy's existence. I'm checking into this myself, Commissioner," Batman explained.

"Detective Yin, inform me when the Batman captures this "Grundy" character immediately. I'm not going to let anyone terrorize this City. Especially some Halloween folktale."

"But Commissioner, he's real! We all saw him!" Virginia protested.

"You don't know what you saw, Ms. Bolton. It could have been anyone wearing a suit, or—" Detective Yin stopped in midsentence and locked eyes with Dick. They shared a look. He turned and left.

"Back to the Batcave. I have to get to the bottom of this before the night's over."

Detective Yin looked over at Dick. "I'll be in touch with the Batwave."

"Good luck, Batman," Jim Gordon said as he walked back to his car. "Set a perimeter around this place and get me the fire department to put out this mess!" he gave orders as officers began rushing around to comply.

"I hope this'll be over soon," Batman heard Jim Gordon mutter, "I promised Babs that we'd distribute candy in our neighborhood tonight."

"I'll call you if I need anything." Detective nodded her thanks and escorted the Bolton sisters to a squad car that would take them to the station where they would stay until Grundy, or whatever it was, was caught. The Titans watched the police pull away.

Beast Boy waited until the police were out of earshot and they were in their cars heading back to the Batcave before he decided to speak. "Dick, what do you mean we don't know what we saw? That was Grundy, and we all know it!"

"I can't say for sure that was Grundy, Beast Boy," Dick replied. "I'm not sure who it is but something in my gut tells me that the pieces don't fit. Tim, the legend says that Grundy would attack 150 years after he was created when there was a lunar eclipse on Halloween right?"

"Yes," Tim replied. "That's what the legend says."

"What are the odds of him doing it more than once?"

"146,850 to one," Tim answered.

"I was right, you are a nerd," Dick joked.

"Dude, this isn't the time for jokes, don't we have to stop Grundy?"

"I thought you were all for jokes, Beast Boy. Since when did you become so serious about crime fighting?"

"I'm usually not serious about crime fighting, it's just Grundy made me wet my pants when the threw us off like we were feathers and smashed through the house." There was loud snickering laugh from Cyborg and Beast Boy screamed into the communicator loud enough for Dick to hear, "Cyborg, this isn't funny! I don't like clowns or zombies! Will you knock it off!"

"Shut up you two, we have work to do!" Batman shouted. They arrived at the Batcave and scrambled out of their cars. Batman jumped out of the Batmobile and headed over to the lab in the Batcave.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Beast Boy asked.

"There's something I have to see," Batman replied. He removed the sample from his utility belt and placed it under a microscope. He stared into it. "Just as I thought…mutated human genes," he muttered. Beast Boy turned to him.

"What does that mean? 'Just as I thought?" What are you talking about?"

"Come on guys, I know where "Grundy's" going to strike next."

"So you really believe in Solomon Grundy?" Cyborg asked.

"No, but his next targets are Winslow, and Parish."

"So you _did_ pay attention to my story after all!" Tim laughed. "But why don't you believe in Solomon Grundy?"

"Because we didn't fight Grundy."

"If we didn't fight Grundy, then _who_ did we fight?" Tim asked.

"Think real hard Tim and you'll figure it out."

Robin scratched his head in thought. Then it hit him. He looked over at Batman. "You mean it's…?"

"Yes, it's him. We've got to go now before he strikes the others."

They drove back into the city. It was nearly midnight. Winslow kept his wax museum open to the public. It was Halloween night and business had been at its highest. People had lined up to go in. Obviously, they were looking for a good scare in a building filled with manikins and wax statues. Now it was closing time had he was preparing to go home.

Hearing a loud growl behind him he turned around. Staring up in horror, he fell to the ground in terror. He looked up in disgust and shock.

Grundy started for the man. His voice snarled out one word. "Destroy! Destroy!" He stared for the man.

"S—Someone help me!" he bawled out. "I don't wanna die!"

Winslow stared up as a dark shape swooped in above him. Batman hit Grundy full force and the impact knocked the zombie off his feet. Robin, Cyborg, and the rest of the Teen Titans charged in, tackling Grundy to the pavement. "Go! Get out of here!" Batman ordered. "We'll take care of this!"

Winslow took no time in making himself scarce. Batman watched him go. Now was his chance to strike without threatening a civilian.

Starfire grabbed Grundy's shoulders from behind and flipped him into the air. Flying back, he hit the street. Landing hard, he turned his head just as Batman's foot met his face, slamming him back on the ground. Batman placed a foot on Grundy's neck.

"Halloween's almost over "Grundy". Time to unmask." He reached down and grabbed him by his "shirt". "Grundy's" twisted face broke into a wide, sneering grin as his face morphed from that of Grundy's into that of Clayface.

"I may not have tricked ya Bats, but I'm still gonna collect my treats!" Clayface laughed. He unexpectedly dissolved into a mess of mud and ooze. Batman felt his foot slide through the muck and hit the pavement.

"You morphed into Solomon Grundy and attacked the Boltons house. You attacked them for the money, didn't you?"

"Of course I did! It was the perfect cover. Fulfill an ancient 'curse', and get all the cash in the process. Can't blame me for having a little Halloween fun, can ya Bats?" Clayface smirked.

"Sorry, Clayface. Your fun's over. This ends tonight!" Batman readied a Freeze Disc and nodded at the Titans.

Robin stepped forward. "Titans, Go!" Starfire flew forward, laser beams exploded from her eyes, hitting him in his midsection. Staggering, he suddenly morphed his arm into a bow, using his other hand; he fired a string of clay arrows at the Titans.

Beast Boy dodged, transforming into a bear, he slashed at Clayface. His sharp claws hit nothing but an oozing, claylike substance as Clayface howled in rage and pain.

Beast Boy felt himself suddenly yanked into Clayface's body. Roaring out in the form of a bear, he tried to call for help. Cyborg struggled to grab his friend's arm, but it was no use. Beast Boy vanished from sight.

Robin commenced a flying kick, and made contact with Clayface's squishy body, only to be picked up and thrown out of the way. He landed on his feet and threw a smoke pellet, trying to distract his foe. Clayface swatted the smoke away with his large hands. He stared at Batman intently.

"Let him go, Clayface!" Batman shouted.

"No, you're friend is going to die, Batman!" Clayface grinned maliciously. "He'll die just like Ethan Bennett did when Joker turned him into Clayface. You remember that don't you Bats?"

Batman said nothing. Bruce had told him the story plenty of times. He didn't want Clayface to suspect he wasn't Bruce Wayne, who was the real Batman. He let the silence speak for itself.

"Yeah, you remember that night, Bats. You'll fail your friend just like you failed me. I used to think you were a hero, but you'll fall short, just like before."

He was trying to taunt them. They all knew it. Starfire was in emotional turmoil. Why did he not move to stop him? Why couldn't they act?

"You see, Bats? I can feel him slowing…slowing…soon, his heart rate will stop, he's stopped kicking…and soon he'll be—"

Suddenly, Batman leaped forward. Shoving a taser into his enemy's body, he pushed a button sending an electric shock through Clayface. Shrieking, he writhed furiously. A minute later, Batman stopped shocking him and he laughed.

"That was really stupid, Bats. You probably fried your friend, it's likely he's dead already—"

There was a large bulge in Clayface's midsection as he exploded, a million splatters of mud flying in all directions. Beast Boy's gorilla form emerged from the mess covered in gray clay, but alive.

The Titans gathered around him. "Beast Boy, you are okay?" Starfire asked, concerned.

"That tasted so nasty!" Beast Boy exclaimed, spitting clay out of his mouth.

"How did you survive the electric shock?" Robin asked.

"Dude, that guys is so gooey and squishy that I didn't feel much of the shock from that thing."

"I'm surprised you didn't die," Raven commented.

"I thought he was suffocating you," Cyborg said.

"I was holding my breath."

"Where'd you learn how to do that?" Batman asked.

"I learned how to do that when Plasmas attacked us and swallowed me. And I think Clayface got away while we weren't looking."

"I'm giving him time," Batman said. I know right where he's heading."

"Where's that?" Beast Boy asked.

"De Larues Wax Museum."

"Oh great," Robin groaned. "A shape-shifter in a wax museum."

"How do you know that's where he is?" Raven asked.

"Just follow the trial of slime," Robin said. They made their way into the building. They began looking around.

"Split up!" Batman ordered. "If you see him, attack. We'll find you!" The heroes separated and began searching. Raven began looking around.

She turned a corner and nearly collided with Starfire who walked straight into her. "Raven, you should watch where you're going," she scolded. "You scared the daylight out of me!"

Raven's eyes narrowed. "Since when did _you _learn to speak using contractions?" she asked. Her reply came in a swift blow to her face.

"I found him!" she shouted as "Starfire" suddenly morphed into a mirror image herself. Raven stared at "Raven" as "she" rose into the air.

Raven looked at Clayface's replica of herself and said, "even if you have my body, you know nothing about me!"

"Do I?" Clayface in Raven's form asked sarcastically, sending a blast of dark energy at her.

Raven summoned her powers to block the blast. _How in the world does he mimic having superpowers?_ She thought. _I thought he could just morph into people!_ Then the thought hit her, perhaps he couldn't mimic superpowers, but he could deceive you into _thinking_ he could. It was all a lie, an illusion.

Raven dodged the attack and levitated a wax statue, sending it into Clayface's path, knocking him off his feet. Clayface, startled, felt searing pain shoot though his body as Cyborg discharged as stream of laser fire at him.

Batman dropped down from the ceiling and smashed his feet into Clayface. The blow sent him reeling as he shot clay arrows in defense. Beast Boy barreled into him as Starfire sent a hailstorm of laser fire towards him. He suddenly dissolved into a puddle of mud and began slinking away.

The Titans followed Batman as they pursued him. "The trails cold," Batman muttered.

"Come and find me, Bats!" Clayface taunted. "I'm just one of the crowd!"

"Check the safe! He's going after the money!" They ran to the safe and opened it. It was empty, much to Batman's shock.

"Another door!" Robin slammed his fist into his palm. "I can't believe it!"

"Now we have to search the premises—Aah!" He screamed as the safe doors suddenly wrapped themselves around his body. The Titans suddenly leaped forward, Starfire and Cyborg tried to wrestle Batman away from Clayface, who had turned into the door.

Batman shocked him again with the taser until he let go. He tackled Batman to the ground and they crashed through the floor, landing in the basement.

Surrounded by vats and storage bins filled with wax, Clayface attempted to throw Batman into a boiling hot vat while he struggled to break free. Whipping out a Bat-a-Rang, he aimed it at a vat positioned above him. Throwing it with speed and precision, he spilt the container's contents on top of Clayface.

Clayface loosened his hold on Batman as he attempted to dodge the wax. The wax covered him completely and it hardened before he had chance to move.

"Trick or treat, Clayface," Batman said as the others ran to join him.

"You okay?" Cyborg asked.

"I'm fine. I need to call Detective Yin and inform her that we capture Clayface trying to attack Winslow."

He contacted Yin and within a few minutes, the police were escorting Clayface to a squad car that would take him to the police station.

"Thanks for your help tonight," Detective Yin said. "I told Gordon we got him. He's very pleased about it."

"Just doing my duty, Detective," Batman said solemnly.

"Happy Halloween," she said. "Good night everyone, it's time for me to go home." She climbed into her car and left.

"And us too," Beast Boy said. Cyborg called up the car and the Titans got in. Batman called the Batmobile and together they drove back to the Batcave.

"We did pretty good, didn't we?" Cyborg asked, when they arrived at the Batcave.

"Yes, we stopped Clayface," Dick said, "but we have a long way to go. There's just not enough night left…"

"Come on, Dick! We just kicked some serious bad guy butt! One o' clock, and all's well!" Beast Boy shouted loudly.

"Don't start saying that, you sound like that stupid bird Nutsy from the Disney version of Robin Hood!" Raven glared.

"Good night, everyone," Dick said.

"Good night, Dick." Tim headed out the door to go home.

"I'm off to bed, how 'bout you guys?" Dick asked, yawning.

"Yeah, we're all tired, see you tomorrow, Dick," Gar replied. The others said good night and went up to their designated rooms in Wayne Manor. Dick Grayson headed to his room. He took a moment and looked out the window at the lunar eclipse. He wondered, just for a moment, if Grundy would really come…

Meanwhile, at the swamp outside the smoldering ruins of the Boltons Mansion, the like began to bubble with soft ripples as the darkness covered the moon. Perhaps "Grundy" would rise after all. There were no witnesses to confirm Grundy's existence. Only the night animals would see if he was a man or a myth. Halloween was over and "Grundy's" Night had passed.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

A blaring alarm woke Dick Grayson with a sudden jolt. He gazed over at the clock and slapped a fist down on the off button. "Wonder why Alfred didn't come to wake me up," he muttered to himself, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"I was just about to wake you Master Dick, but I see your alarm clock did my job for me. Did you sleep well?"

"As well as someone can sleep if they've been up all night," he replied. "How were things here Alfred?"

"Just fine, Sir," he removed a newspaper that was tucked underneath his arm. "Here's today's paper, Master Dick. There is something on the front page that may be of interest to you."

_"Killer Moth", Drury Walker, released today," _Dick read aloud. "If I know anything about the average criminal in Gotham City, they can't stay clean for one day." He stared at the picture for a moment; then the thought came to him. "Doesn't Drury Walker have a daughter named Kitten?" He paled at the thought of the spoiled, bratty teenage girl who had blackmailed him into a "date" at her junior prom.

"I can't quite remember Sir, I'm not one to peruse post office walls."

"You're sure you don't remember Kitten?" he asked.

"Then again, I _do_ remember seeing that girl on the news lately."

"Oh, why?"

"This Kitten Walker has suddenly become the poster child for her extreme stances on environmentalism, especially with the company she's keeping."

"And who would that be?" The question didn't need answering. It was far too obvious whom Kitten was associating herself with.

"A certain redhead named Pamela Isley. You know her very well don't you Sir?"

"Too well, Alfred. Pam Isley's not one to take lightly. Her echo terrorist activities as Poison Ivy show she's no pushover."

"Yes, is quite the fanatic," Alfred quipped. "I myself have had a run in with Joan of Bark, and it was a very unpleasant experience, to say the least."

Dick chortled good-naturedly. "You have a way with words Alfred, I'll admit that. Joan of Bark, ha!"

"That Kitten Walker is quite the churlish little brat isn't she?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, she is, I suppose you heard about how she blackmailed me into going to her junior prom," Dick looked at Alfred

"Yes, yes, Ms. Barbara Gordon nearly died of laughter when she found out."

"She thinks it's funny, huh?"

'Yes, she thought it was very entertaining."

"I see. Well Alfred, what's for breakfast?"

"Funny you should mention breakfast, Sir. It's pancakes, bacon, and toast this morning."

"Good, but Beast Boy refuses to eat meat so you may want to make him tofu bacon or something."

"I shall fetch some right away, Sir. Since you and your friends are going to be staying here indefinitely—"

"But I can't stay here too long, Alfred. I have my own city to protect, and Titans East can't stay in Jump City for an extended period of time either."

"Then you know what you must do, Sir," Alfred began.

"No I don't, Alfred. What am I supposed to do?" Dick looked confused for a moment. "What do you expect me to do?"

"Since Master Bruce is still unable to don the cape and cowl, and you cannot stay here for too long, I suggest you find someone to replace you as the Batman."

"You mean, find a replacement? How am I supposed to do that? Who could I trust with something this important?"

"I wouldn't know the answers to those questions, Sir, but I do suggest you should start looking."

"You're right Alfred, but I just can't figure out where to start, or who to look for."

"I suppose you should look for someone who shares your desire to deliver justice. He should be someone who wants to do god in the world and is very committed to his cause."

"Thanks for the advice, Alfred."

"You're very welcome, Sir," Alfred replied. "I'm delighted I can be of some assistance to you."

"I think you should go out and eat breakfast now Sir. I shall go wake your friends in the meantime."

"Thank you, Alfred." Dick climbed out of bed. Dropping onto the ground, he began executing a series of pushups as a part of his exercise routine. After finishing 20 pushups, he dressed and headed to the dining room. The others were waiting at the table, their food untouched. They waited for him to sit down.

"Good morning guys. Sleep well?"

Gar was still rubbing sleep from his eyes as he answered. "I slept well, as much as someone can say when they've slept for ten hours."

"Did you always sleep in this late when you used to live here?" Victor asked.

"Not always," Dick laughed. "I think I'm starting to get lazy."

The boy's laughed. Kory looked at him. "What are we going to do today?"

"I'm not sure, I think I have a meeting at Wayne Industries/Enterprises. After that's finished, I'm free for the rest of the day."

"Did you read this? I guess there's going to be a big protest at Chlorogene Laboratories," Raven said.

"Hey, let me look at that," Gar said. Raven handed him the newspaper. "It says this protest is led by some girl named Kitten Walker."

"Kitten? As in Kitten, the girl who blackmailed Robin into a date at her prom, Kitten?" Kory asked. "I do not believe it! May I see that paper?"

"Sure, it certainly looks like Kitten." Gar handed Kory the paper. She looked at it, reading the article.

"It is Kitten, but how did she get out of jail?"

"And when did _she_ become so interested in the environment?" Victor asked. "All she wanted to do was date Robin." They all chuckled humorously.

"That's not very funny guys," Dick said sitting down. "Anyway, I do plan on keeping track of Killer Moth, and Kitten."

"You think they'll do something today?"

"Around here, the average criminal can't stay clean for more than one day, if they could even stay clean for that long." I have a feeling that this protest is a front for something else."

"What would that be?" Raven asked.

"I have a hunch, I'm not sure, but I think Pamela Isley's the one behind this."

"Pamela Isley, you mean Poison Ivy?" Victor looked at Dick.

"She's known to do these kinds of things. It wouldn't surprise me if she shows up at that rally."

"What does this have to do with the girl Kitten?" Kory asked.

"Kitten associates with Pam Isley."

" Is there some connection between Poison Ivy and Killer Moth?" Vic frowned.

"I haven't pegged a motive yet, but I don't see what Killer Moth would want with Poison Ivy, I don't see what would be in it for him." Dick finished, chewing on a piece of bacon. He finished eating his food; the others were done so they stacked the dishes.

"Do you want us to take these to the sink?" Gar asked.

"No, no, Alfred can get those."

"Are you sure, 'cause we can—"

"Alfred's my butler Gar, it's his job, but I don't think he'd mind if you guys helped." Dick snatched a suit coat from his room and put it on.

"I'll be back later," Dick said.

"See you later, Dude," Gar said. He turned and walked away. Victor and Gar gathered up the dishes. Alfred walked into the room.

"Now, now Master Gar, let me take those. You don't need to do my work for me."

"No offense, Mr. Alfred, but it just feels weird having you do everything for us."

"Why do you say that?" the butler asked.

"Well at home we do all the dishes and stuff."

"Well, Master Gar, consider yourself off of chores during your stay here," Alfred took the dishes from Gar and Vic. Spinning around, he walked back to the kitchen. Gar and Victor looked at each other.

"Hey, at least we don't have to do dishes now." After some discussion, they decided to go down and explore the Batcave. They might as well become familiar with everything since Dick was probably going to stay for a long time.

* * *

Dick walked out to Rolls and drove to Wayne Tower. He took the elevator to the top floor where the members of the board were preparing for a meeting. He told Leslie the receptionist he had arrived for the meeting and she told him to go on in.

"Ah Mr. Grayson you made it!" Lucius exclaimed as he walked in the room. "Right on time."

"Thank you Mr. Fox. So what's on the agenda today?"

"The board is discussing the approval of a prototype for a new weapon for the army. Kevlar gauntlets with a polymerized flaming titanium bayonets.

"Flaming, as in they can light on fire?" Dick asked.

"Yes, there's a small niche for a synthesized form of gasoline we're patenting, when the bayonets are released, the sparks will ignite the blade on fire. Mainly for theatrics, but it will make a deadly weapon," Lucius Fox explained.

"Now about these weaponized gauntlets, if thee fell into the wrong hands, they could be very dangerous." Dick began. "Do you think it's wise for Wayne Enterprises to mass produce this product, even if it is intended for the army?"

"Now listen here, Mr. Grayson," Mr. Fredericks began. "you may be the heir to this company but _we _help _you_ make thee decisions. Be assured that Wayne Industries/Enterprises would never mass produce a product without good intentions."

"I understand, I'm just concerned that this company has become aberrant from what Thomas Wayne intended for this company to be."

"He died more than twenty years ago, Mr. Grayson. We're moving on from what Thomas Wayne would have wanted," Mr. Fredericks said. "But I am sure he would have wanted to help our military in every way possible."

_How do I know you're not lying to me to keep your job? _Dick thought to himself, but aloud he said, "That eases my mind a little, Mr. Fredericks. I'm glad to know that my guardian's company is in good hands." He looked at the board members in turn, holding their gazes for a moment.

"I would like to look over these contacts before I decide whether or not to let them pass onto production. Can I call you tomorrow?"

Mr. Fredericks nodded. "Of course, of course! Do whatever you think you need to do Mr. Grayson. We stand behind you the same as Mr. Wayne."

"Thank you, Mr. Fredericks. I'll call you in the morning." He snatched the papers off the desk and walked out of the room. A few minutes later Lucius Fox followed him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Grayson." Dick turned back to the elderly black man with a smile.

"What is it Lucius?"

"I am rather curious as to why you were hesitant to push this new product forward." He stepped closer to him. He lowered his voice so only Dick could hear. "If you want, I can let you try it for yourself. I made two prototypes."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"You never know when the Batman might need them. I try to help out as best I can. I care about this city too."

"Yes, I know you care, but is the army just a front, or did they really put you up to this?"

"The army did contact Wayne Industries/Enterprises about these gauntlets, yes, that is the truth."

"When will I get to test these flaming gauntlets of yours? How do I know I wont' be burned?"

"Come by this afternoon and see for yourself."

"I'll be back later, what time will work best for you?"

"2:00 at best, I don't have anything going on then."

"I'll be there."

"Good day, Mr. Grayson," Lucius turned and walked back into the other room. Dick Grayson strolled briskly out to the Rolls. Removing his cell phone and dialed Wayne Manor.

Alfred answered. "Meeting's over," Dick informed him. "Do they want to meet me somewhere?"

"I shall asked them Master Dick," Alfred said. He returned a few minutes later. "Master Victor says that he can meet you anywhere, anytime, just tell me the location."

"The Time Out Café," he replied. "We'll pick up some lunch."

"They're on their way, Sir," Alfred said.

"Thank you Alfred. I'll see you later," he hung up the phone. He began driving toward the East side of the city. Driving past the rundown shops and restaurants, he made his way to a familiar diner.

He walked quickly into the building. He took a seat at one of the tables and waited for a waitress. A heavyset woman hurried out of the back kitchen and made her way towards him.

"Hello Mr. Grayson," Berty said. "Haven't seen you around here lately," she smiled. "I am surprised you still come down here. I remember the night you first walked in here with Gigi."

"Yes, I remember that night," he looked up as his friends walked though the door. "Hi guys, come sit." He gestured to the seats beside him. "Do anything while I was away?"

"We've been looking around your house," Victor said. "Nice place."

"Thanks," Dick replied. "Here comes our waitress." Berty walked towards him. His friends' eyes widened as they realized their waitress was the lady who had given them information about Robin.

"Hey Berty," Victor said, "It's nice to see you again."

"Yeah, yeah, same here, kid. You friends with Mr. Grayson here?"

"Yes Ma'am," he replied.

"So Mr. Grayson, do you want the usual?"

"Sure."

"We'll just take what we had last time, the vegetable platter, and a turkey and a chicken sandwich. What do you want Kory?"

"I shall have the salad," she said. Berty left to get them their food.

"How'd your meeting go?" Gar asked.

"Just fine, Lucius Fox asked me to come by the Applied Sciences Division later this afternoon. He wants me to test some equipment for him."

"That's good," Victor said. "Mind if we tag along?"

"I'm sure he won't mind if I tell him you're with me."

The group looked up when a small bell jingled as the door opened. Kory gasped in surprise as her most hated enemy, well not really most hated, but certainly very much disliked, rival walked through the door.

"Come on, Pam, you're not going to be at the protest? I organized this thing so people could hear you speak!" Kitten complained.

"I'm sorry Kitten, I tried to clear up my schedule, but I just can't make it," Pamela Isley replied.

Dick put a finger to his lips for his friends to be quiet. "We need to hear what she has to say."

"But why? I was counting on you to be there!"

"Sorry, can't be helped," she said, "I have some things to take care of."

She began looking around, spotting Dick Grayson immediately, "Hey, that's Dick Grayson!" Kitten nudged Pam's arm. "You should invite him to the rally."

"I'm not sure," Pam, said in a low voice that they all could still hear despite her attempt to keep quiet. "He's not exactly on our side."

"What do you mean? He's rich! He can get the word out for us!"

"He's the adopted son of a rich billionaire, do you know how Bruce Wayne makes his money?"

"No," she shrugged.

"He makes his money by signing up with slash and burn outfits in the Amazon! We can't trust him or Dick Grayson."

"Still, he's so cute!" Kitten squealed. Pam and Dick rolled their eyes in unison. Kory's face held the expression that said she wanted to strangle the life out of Kitten.

Kitten walked over to their table. "Hey handsome, when did you come back here?"

"I just arrived a few weeks ago Kitten," he replied.

"Why don't you come join us for the protest this afternoon, Dickiepoo? We could use your support."

It took everything in Dick's willpower to not roll his eyes at her. "Listen Kitten, I'm all for saving the green, but I can't come. I have an appointment at Wayne Enterprises this afternoon."

"Pam was right about you. You're nothing but a selfish, stuck-up, snobbish tree killer!" She stomped back to her beside Pam Isley. "He won't come."

"I knew it," Pam said. "Rich people are all the same. All they care about is themselves, they climb the social ladder and crush the people they step on." The two girls glared daggers at him from across the room. He shrugged his shoulders and ignored them.

"Well y'all, I need to go to the restroom." Victor got up from the table and headed in the direction of the men's room He unexpectedly collided with a young man coming out of the lavatory. He was carrying a suitcase. Victor knocked it out of his hands and sent it spinning away across the floor. Victor bent down and picked it up.

"I'm sorry, let me get that for you."

"Thank you," the man said, grasping the suitcase.

Victor looked at him. "What's your name?" "Jean Paul Valley," Jean replied, extending his hand. "Yours?"

"Victor Stone. You live in Gotham Jean, or is it Jean Paul?"

"Just Jean, thanks. I attend the university."

"Nice to meet you," Vic said, he made his way into the restroom. A few minutes later, he came back. He rejoined his friends back at their table.

"Hey, I'm back," he said.

"Good, I really need to get out of here," Dick said.

"Why in such a hurry? Kitten make you nervous?" Victor laughed.

"No, not Kitten," Dick, replied. "Not Kitten, Pam Isley makes me nervous."

"Oh, Poison Ivy," Vic lowered his voice to a whisper. "You think she'll do something at this protest?"

"I wouldn't put it past her. I need to go visit Lucius Fox later this afternoon, then I need to go to that protest."

"I thought you told Kitten you wouldn't be there!" Gar protested.

"_Dick Grayson's_ not going to be at the protest, but that doesn't mean _someone else _won't be there," he said in a low voice.

"Oh, I get it," Gar said. Raven winked at him. They immediately understood what he meant.

'So Vic, have a nice conversation with that guy on the way to the restroom?" Dick asked.

"You noticed that?" Vic asked.

"I notice a lot of things," Dick said, smiling. "Kory you've been awfully quiet. Are you alright?"

"I have been thinking of many ways to punish that Zornian muck beetle of a person called Kitten!" she forced her voice to remain low so Kitten wouldn't' hear her. Gar Logan tried very hard to suppress a snicker. It escaped anyway so he pretended to blow his nose so he wouldn't look like an idiot.

"Punishing her for what? Flirting with Dick?" Victor laughed; he attempted to stop by drinking a soda, but only spewed it out to keep himself from choking on it. Kory's face was red with both embarrassment and anger.

"I think I upset your girlfriend," Vic smiled.

"I think it's time for me to go back to Wayne Tower. I promised Lucius Fox I'd look at a prototype for new equipment for the army." Berty came over and handed him the receipt. He placed a fifty-dollar bill in her hand.

"I can't take this kid," she protested quietly.

"It's quid pro quo, Berty, you know that. I eat here, you expect a tip; I give you a good tip for your service." He smiled broadly. "You know that's how it works."

"This is a lot of money, kid. I don't deserve this, even from you."

"Take it, Berty, you need it more than I do."

"Thank you, you're very generous," she accepted the charitable gift gratefully. She tucked it into an apron pocket and walked away. Dick watched her leave smiling quietly.

Kory was the only one who had picked up on the conversation. The others had gone throw away their trash or use the restroom. She was genuinely touched by Dick's generosity. She had seen this from him before, but never such kind-hearted selflessness with the affluent wealth he possessed.

Kory didn't know he was rich or wealthy. The revelation of this fact shed Dick in new light it made her wonder if she really knew him at all. She smiled, hiding her turmoil, and waited for him to come back to the table.

She watched him as he rejoined her. "You ready to leave?" he asked.

"I am prepared to leave," she said. The others rejoined them.

"We're ready to go now," Victor said. Dick got up from his seat and began walking towards the door. The others joined him, leaving be building. Climbing into the car, they drove back to Wayne Tower.

They headed straight to Lucius Fox's office and waited for him to answer the door. He opened it, surprised to see them standing there "Hello, Mr. Grayson, you're right on time. These are your friends I met earlier?" he asked. He remembered them from his visit to Wayne Manor. He smiled and extended his hand to each of them. They shook it in turn.

"Come down to the Applied Sciences division," he said. "I've got something to show you." He ushered them over to an elevator. "Let's just hope we all fit," he laughed.

They exited on the lower level and made their way over to a large area with various types of equipment they had never seen before. Lying on a table was a pair of titanium gauntlets. They looked normal enough, they resembled the one's Dick wore when he was Batman.

"This is the prototype you were telling me about," Dick picked up a gauntlet and examined it. "Not bad, Lucius."

"Thanks, it's the best prototype I've created since the Tumbler and the Thermal Blaster. A real pity someone stole it from Wayne Enterprises in Jump City a few years ago. I was hoping to show it to Oliver Queen. He recently volunteered for the draft. Long war over there you know."

"I have a confession to make Lucius, " Dick sighed. "I stole the Thermal Blaster from Wayne Enterprises."

Lucius Fox looked at him, startled. "You what? Dick you wouldn't do that. It's not like you to steal anything."

"Someone…forced me to steal it. He threatened to kill my friends if I didn't. I am truly sorry that I wasn't able to apologize sooner." He looked down at the floor for a moment.

"Now, Mr. Grayson, I'm sure you are very sincere in your apology and accept it. I'm sure what you did was unintentional. I heard that it was destroyed soon after it was stolen, so in the end, it stayed out of the wrong hands."

"Thank you for understanding my situation, sir," Dick said gratefully. "You know I'd never do anything like this without a reason and that it was a mistake—"

"Now there's no need to go on apologizing. I understand completely. I am glad you told me the truth, it always bothered me since it happened."

"Let me see this new prototype of yours," Dick said, changing the subject. "That's why you wanted to see me, right? How exactly does this work?" he asked, slipping the gauntlet on his hand. "It looks harmless," he commented.

"Looks harmless when your palms are open. Close them." He did so; a sleek titanium blade unsheathed itself. He looked at it. "I thought you said this could light on fire."

"Yes, it can," Lucius said, "there's another button, push both at the same time, then see what happens."

He did as instructed, and the bayonets unsheathed themselves. "How do I know I won't burst into flames? Then they'd call me the Human Torch."

"The gauntlets are coated with a fireproof substance, so you'll be fine. Now try it. Dick pushed a button and watched the blades ignite. "Not bad, not bad."

He retracted the razor sharp blades. "These are very dangerous, Lucius. Why show me?"

"You don't need to play ignorant with me, Mr. Grayson," the inventive CEO said with a wink.

"Yes, yes, I know; but I thought you were sending this to the army."

"That's why I have two prototypes. One for you and one for the armed forces."

"I see. Thank you for taking the time to show me this, Lucius. I'm sure you must be very busy, so I think I'll let you get to it. You mind if I take these?"

"Sure, go ahead. They're yours anyway. Thank you for coming by Mr. Grayson," Lucius Fox replied. "If you ever need me for anything, just say so."

"I'll be checking in a few days," Dick said.

"I'll be waiting," he replied.

Dick made his way to the elevators. Gar, Victor, Raven and Kory followed him. "You guys have been awfully quiet."

"Dude, is he the guy who gives you all your gadgets?" Gar asked.

"Lucius Fox is the genius behind the gadgets but Alfred is the one who actually sends them to me."

"I need to talk to Lucius about that Tumbler of yours. I need to get me one of those!" Victor said. "It makes the T Car look like crap."

"Oh come on, Vic. You're car's great!"

"Not compared to yours, I seriously need to talk Mr. Fox into modifying mine so it can be that good."

"Where are we going now?" Raven asked.

"I suppose we need to stop by the corporate headquarters of Chlorogene. Kitten did say they were protesting today."

"Okay, then what?" Gar asked.

"We do what we do best," Dick winked.

* * *

They went out to the car and drove down to Chlorogene's corporate headquarters where the protest was being held. They watched the large crowd gather in front of the building. Dick could see Kitten standing on a platform leading the crowd in chanting, "Down with Chlorogene, we don't want your mutant vegetables!"

Dick frowned. He knew this was just a front for she was what Batman and the local authorities considered Poison Ivy's activities as that of an echo terrorist. She was bent on destroying corporations that she said "destroyed the environment for the sake of making money." Pamela Isley was Hell-bent on making the world a better place for plants.

They climbed out of the disguised T Car and made their way into the crowd. They were screaming and shouting, and it looked like things were taking a turn for the worse.

He caught the attention of the others and gestured for them to head to a building next door. They made their way out of the crowd and over to the building. Once inside, they headed for the restrooms and changed into their uniforms. They meet each other in the hallway near the lobby in the front of the building.

"Why did you have us come over here again?" Victor asked.

"We need to get in uniform where no one can see," Dick answered.

"Why didn't you have us do that earlier?"

"I wanted to get the lay of the land first."

"So what do we do, break up the protest?" Raven asked. "They haven't done anything."

"They haven't done anything _yet_," Dick corrected. "But that doesn't mean they won't."

"What are we supposed to watch for?"

"Any sign of Poison Ivy? If she comes to the rally, it could mean trouble for Chlorogene. If you see her, attack immediately. I'm going to contact Tim and Babs and tell them what's going on. Meanwhile, I suggest you all head back there. I'll join you as soon as I can."

The others did as they were instructed. Dick grabbed a communicator and called Tim Drake. "We have a situation at Chlorogene headquarters."

"Poison Ivy up to something?" Tim asked.

"You catch on quick, Tim. I haven't even said anything yet."

"It's all over the news and we both knew she has a personal vendetta against the company."

"Because they're the ones who turned her into what she is now."

"Well, I assume you know that already," Tim said.

"Yes, I knew that, you think she'll actually show. I overheard her tell Kitten she wasn't going to make it, that she had "other plans", or something along those lines."

"Knowing her, she's probably going to do something tonight. This whole protest is just a front for her to get Gotham's attention. And she also does work for hire."

"Poison Ivy works for someone else, who would hire her for anything?"

"No, I meant that she pays people do her dirty work for her."

"You think she hired that Temblor character again? He wasn't too thrilled his 'boss' was a teenybopper."

"No, I highly doubt that. That was years ago. He's long gone. She's probably got someone who's in serious need of money."

"Kitten's Father, Killer Moth! So _that's_ why they're friends! It makes sense now."

"yes, Kitten's most likely in it for the money, Pam's in it for revenge, perfect partnership. Suits them well enough."

"Knowing Ivy's M.O., she'll strike tonight. So what should I tell the Titans. They're waiting for me out there."

"Just tell them you're coming back tonight. That shouldn't be a big deal."

"Tim, can you get a hold of Babs? We need all the help we can get. Oh yeah, bring the extra weaponry tonight. We're gonna have to do _a lot_ of pruning."

"Sure, no problem, Dick. Where do you want us to meet you?"

On the roof of the building across the street from Chlorogene, be there at 11 tonight. Don't be late."

"Yes Sir!" Tim said enthusiastically. He hung up. Dick turned and headed back outside. He quickly gathered all the Titans together.

"I have it form a good source she won't be showing up today. Since this doesn't look like it's going to escalate any further, I think we should go home. She'll be here tonight, and I don't think she'll be alone.

"What makes you think that?" Beast Boy asked.

"I think she's hired Killer Moth to destroy Chlorogene."

"That explains her relationship with Kitten," Kory said. "Are Robin Batgirl to be here as well?"

"I've already contacted them. All we need to do is lay low."

* * *

Later on that evening, they all met on the rooftop of the building as planned. Batgirl arrived soon after the Titans, followed closely by Tim. "So, when's the party start?" Batgirl asked.

"As soon as we spot Killer Moth or Poison Ivy," Dick answered. He was using his night vision binoculars to see if there was anything. "Any luck Tim?"

"Nothing, they must be bored or something."

"Dude, how long are we gonna sit here?" Beast Boy asked.

"As long as it takes," came Batman's reply.

"We could be out here all night! You used to stay out that long?"

"Uh huh."

"Were you ever bored?"

"Uh huh."

"Does this ever drive you crazy?"

"Uh huh."

"Lucky for me you're such a good conversationalist."

"Dick, there he is!" Tim pointed at a figure down in the street heading toward the building.

"Now everyone listen to me, don't get too close to Poison Ivy. The key to beating her is keeping your distance and looking for an opening. Tim, you brought the 'extras' I wanted you to bring?"

I got them right her, man. It's chainsaw time!" he removed one from a bag he was carrying. "These things are so nifty. They fit on the side of your arm." He attached it to his gauntlets. He handed Batman and Batgirl two extra pairs.

"Cyborg, you have yours?" Batman asked.

"Built into my arm and ready to go!" They dropped down to the street and began making their way towards the building. They slipped in after Killer Moth, who had somehow disabled the alarms. Dick wondered if Kitten or Poison Ivy had something to do with that. They followed him quietly, Killer Moth headed straight for the labs; Dick had a feeling that was the first place he was going to destroy. It was located in the center of the building.

He hacked open the labs locked doors and slipped inside. Raven used her Soul Self to transport them in without being heard. Killer Moth walked over to a table filled with rows and rows of chemicals. He sent them crashing to the floor with a sweep of his arm and prepared to light them on fire with a lighter. He pulled out a cigarette and lit up, inhaling nicotine into his lungs and sending out a few puffs of smoke. He was just about to drop the lighted butt onto the floor which would set the entire building ablaze to Kingdom Come, when he heard a voice behind him say, "Sorry Killer Moth, but the sign out front says 'No Smoking.'"

"You found me, but you'll soon be wishing you hadn't!" he snarled furiously as he spun around to face them. He suddenly leapt into the air, grabbed a hold of a light fixture and launched himself at the Titans feet first, colliding with Batman. Killer Moth stumbled back but regained his footing delivering a solid punch to the thief's stomach.

Killer Moth responded with a clumsy kick that did him no good at all, and just made his situation worse by further offsetting his balance. Raven used her powers to throw him into a nearby table while Cyborg fired his Sonic Cannon.

The blasts ripped into Killer Moth, causing him to howl in pain, he somehow managed to roll over and pushing himself to his feet, managed to dodge laser fire and tackle Cyborg to the floor. Cyborg pushed him off the floor with his feet, sending him skidding across the floor. He Scrambled to his feet as Robin stepped in front of him, Bo Staff ready.

He brought the staff smashing down on Killer Moth, who rolled out of the way as it smashed into the floor. He kicked out low but Robin jumped back. He leapt to his feet and punched furiously at the hero as he block and countered with a few quick jabs of his own. Robin began forcing Killer Moth back toward the others who were surrounding him from behind.

He staggered back as two streaking Starbolts from Starfire's eyes crashed into his body. He grabbed a vial of one of the chemicals and turning around, he threw it straight at her. Batman quickly whipped out a Bat-a-Rang and hurled it at the beaker, smashing it into a dozen shards of glass. The glass flew in all directions. Robin covered himself with his cloak and Batman and Batgirl followed suit. Raven used her powers to shield the rest of the Titans in her aura.

Killer Moth was not so lucky however as the glass ricocheted back at him; he felt pieces of glass rip through his costume and into his flesh. He screamed in agony and staggered back. Batman rushed over to him before he could hit the floor, crushing more glass into his knees. He hauled him over to a safe are on the floor.

"Where's Poison Ivy?" Batman demanded.

"I don't know. She sent me here, I didn't know she was coming."

"She probably told you everything, now where is she?" Robin demanded, walking over to him.

"Don't worry Robin, she'll show up soon enough." Batman examined Killer Moth's wounds. "We need to take him to a hospital.

"We don't have time for that," Batgirl said. "She could show up any minute!"

"I know, I know. I just can't figure out what to do with him. Robin, call Detective Yin and have her come down her and take him to the hospital."

Robin punched in her signal on his Communicator. "Detective Yin, this is Robin, we need you down at Chlorogene headquarters right away, we have an injured Killer Moth her and we need you to take him to a hospital." Batman bandaged Killer Moth's wounds as best he could, then he tied him up

"Tell Batman I'm on my way and I'm bringing a squad too for backup."

"I'll let him know that," Robin turned to Batman. "She's on her way."

"Good," Batman nodded his approval.

"Okay, that's done, Beast Boy observed, "now all we have to do is find—" A huge vine emerged from nowhere and smashed into his midsection, flinging him across the room into a wall. The others looked up to see Poison Ivy, perched atop a large flower, smirking down at them.

. Batgirl grabbed a Bat-a-Rang and aimed for Poison Ivy's head, hoping to knock her unconscious. She threw it and it barely missed her head, swishing harmlessly by her ear. "After all these years I would think you would have learned how to aim," she sneered.

"Titans, go!" Robin ordered; he unsheathed his chainsaw and Cyborg's arm transformed into his chainsaw attachment. Raven and Starfire rose into the air and Beast Boy changed into a python and began slithering through the vines unnoticed by Poison Ivy, who kept her attention on the rest of the Titans. They immediately rushed forward; Starfire sent green bolts smashing into the leaves and vines, burning them to charred cinders.

A tangle of vines shot out at Poison Ivy's command and enveloped Starfire in a mass of green ivy. There was a burst of green light from her eyes as it exploded away from her. She stood glaring at her opponent, rising fast into the air, she shot forward as fast as a bullet and headed straight for Poison Ivy.

Batman and Batgirl pulled out their chainsaws and began sawing away at the tangled plants that were blocking their path toward Ivy as she tried to ward of Starfire with her carnivorous plants she conjured to defend her. Starfire avoided a viscous snap and quickly glanced behind her as the sharp teeth snapped at her. Diving down, she began to weave her way around the plant in a downward spiral as it tried to chase her. She stopped for a split second, watching the plants wide jaws open up to swallow her whole.

At the last instant, she ducked below as the plant bit itself in half. She watched it fall apart and flying away form the chaos. Circling high above Poison Ivy, she then executed a dive bomb followed by a shower of Starbolts.

Poison Ivy looked up. When she did, all she could see was a streak of emerald green raining down on her. She blocked the solar bolts with a wall of vines. She gasped as Starfire burst through her defense and smashed her fist into Ivy's face. She tumbled off her perch and fell to the floor.

She landed on her feet and looked up at Starfire. "Not bad, Red," she congratulated, "not bad at all." She summoned another plant to harass her enemy. Starfire turned her attention to an attacking plant and away from Ivy.

Beast Boy meanwhile had made his way across the plants toward Poison Ivy. When he saw her go flying, he morphed into and eagle and dropped down in front of her. He transformed into a bear extending his claws, he roared fiercely and rushed to attack. She smirked at him, and with a sly grin, she watched him as he ran towards her. Extending a hand, as if to blow him a kiss, she blew a powdery pheromone in his direction.

Beast Boy tried to stop himself from running into the red powdered substance. It did him no good however; he just succeeded in plowing into Poison Ivy. She stepped aside and let Beast Boy plow straight into the pheromone. Changing back into his human form, he coughed and sputtered, inhaling the gas. Raven looked up from her battle with the vines just in time to see Beast Boy's eyes changed from their normal green color to a glazed hypnotized look.

"What's happening to him?" she called over to Batgirl, who was dodging vines and somersaulting over branches.

"He's under Poison Ivy's mind control!" she replied.

"How do you snap him out of it?" she asked to everyone in the room.

"Make him laugh!" Cyborg shouted.

"There's no time for that, any other suggestions?"

"Hit him in the head!" Babs shouted.

"Destroy them!" Poison Ivy ordered. Beast Boy turned, transforming into a tiger, he charged straight at her. She dodged out of the way, rising into the air. She used her powers to grab a lose vine. Snapping it like a whip, she flicked it at Beast Boy's head, smashing it into his head. He came to an unexpected halt, shaking his mangy head.

Resuming human form, he glared up at Raven. "What did you do that for?" he demanded.

"You've been hypnotized. I had to snap you out of your trance. Get over it," she replied.

"Oh, okay," he looked around.

Batman used his grapple gun to attach itself to the other wall. Pushing the button, he shot over to the other side. He dropped down to land in front of Poison Ivy. He was followed By Robin and Batgirl. Cyborg and Starfire were preoccupied battling plants. Cyborg was hacking away with his chainsaw, but no matter how much he cut off, they just seemed to keep coming in greater numbers.

Starfire avoided a falling tree branch and was trying to make her way towards Beast Boy when thousands of vines reached out their arms and grabbed her, pulling her into the tangled mass.

Dick turned his head for a split second, "Starfire!" In that instant, he found himself engulfed in vines. He struggled to free himself as the others found themselves trapped as well. The haughty, triumphant look on his opponent's face was unmistakable. She moved over to him.

"Sorry Batman, it looks like you and you're little friends are going to lose this time!" Poison Ivy smirked.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Ivy!" he retorted, pushing down both the buttons hidden in his gloves. The hidden bayonets came out, flames blazing. The flames ignited the ivy and vines that bound his hands, burning them to smoldering ashes. The fames began to spread weaving their way towards Poison Ivy, who spotted the danger and was trying to use her powers to prevent herself from being burned.

She let out a startled gasp as the fire continued to spread. The flames licked their way through the vines, immediately disintegrating them. She watched in horror as their path wound their way across the vast space toward her. She then realized the danger she was in a split second too late, and knew she had to leave immediately before the building caught fire.

She tried to make her escape by running towards the door. Poison Ivy's escape route was blocked by a wall of flames, turning back, she headed in the other direction. She watched in horror was a burning branch broke and fell on top of her. She let out a scream and braced herself for the impact.

Suddenly, Batgirl swooped in and pulled her to safety, she was immediately surrounded by the others, weapons drawn. Exhausted, she collapsed and slipped into unconsciousness. Batgirl glanced down at her.

"Felt I owed you one, Red," she said quietly. "You're still my friend even though sometimes you act like a jerk."

"Are we all okay?" Beast Boy asked.

"How could you fall under hypnosis again?" Cyborg asked.

"I can't help it, I'm bad at resisting hypnosis! It's not my fault!" Beast Boy retorted.

"Where's Killer Moth?" Raven asked.

"Let me check with Detective Yin," Batman said. "Detective Yin, do you have Killer Moth?"

"Yes we do and we've taken him to the hospital, we're keeping an eye on him there."

"Good," Batman ended the communication. "Let's drop Ivy off at the station, then we can go home."

* * *

Kory felt exhausted as she finished changing into normal clothes. They had dropped off Poison Ivy at the Gotham Police Department, Commissioner Gordon had thanked them and then they headed home to Wayne Manor.

Tim and Babs had gone home. They both claimed they were too exhausted to stay and they both said they had school the next day. They were all very tired. The others had headed to their rooms to sleep.

She headed down the hallway to her room when something caught her attention. She paused for a moment, stopping outside Dick's room. What she saw was a sight she would never forget.

His room was dark, the lights were off; he stood alone in the moonlight. Silhouetted in the dim room, she saw him, dressed in his Batman uniform. He held his Robin costume in his hands reverently. The moonlight wrapped its arms around his figure, framing him in pale gray light. A strange silence filled the air as she moved softly into the room.

A window was opened slightly, letting in a soft breeze. The gentle wisps of air sent small waves through the dark cape on the floor. It seemed to have a life of its own for a moment; it settled onto the floorboards inert and unmoving.

The floor creaked beneath her feet. Hearing the noise he turned. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Only a short while," she replied. "I am sorry, I did not mean to disturb you." She couldn't see the expression on his face. "Shall I leave?"

"No, you can stay, that's alright."

"Do you mind if I turn the light on?" she asked.

"Go ahead, it's too dark to see anything without it." She flipped the light switch on and turned back to face him. She walked over and joined him by the window.

"Are you alright? You didn't get infected with any poison ivy did you? You were covered in it," Dick gave her a small smile.

"No, I have not had the itch yet, so it has not affected me," she replied.

"I'm glad you're alright. I was worried about you."

"I thank you," she smiled. "But I do wonder why you are still up when the others have gone to sleep."

"I'm just thinking about things, that's all." He stared out at the moon.

"What do you think about Dick?"

"Why so interested, Kory?" he asked.

"I am curious about you, what do you think about here in the darkness?"

"I think about…my parents, their deaths, and what I could have done to prevent it."

"I do not know what to say, your parents death was not your fault."

"It was, Kory it was my fault they died; I overheard the threats. I tried to warn them but they didn't listen to me. I was angry with them about it, but they didn't listen to me. I was angry because of it…and I never had the chance to apologize before they died. I've never forgiven myself for it, and I don't think I ever will. I swore on my parents grave I would avenge them, and I won't forgive myself until that day comes."

"This cannot be the person I have known for so long. This is not what drives you, Dick. You are driven by the need to bring justice, not vengeance."

"You don't know the rage that drives me. That impossible anger strangling my grief until the memory of my loved ones is just a poison in my veins. Some days I catch myself wishing the people I loved had never existed...so I would be spared my pain."

"You do not mean that Dick," Kory protested. "You are hardly one to carry these feelings you speak of."

"But I do, Kory. You didn't know me…back then, before my parents were murdered. I was truly, sincerely happy when I was a kid," Dick began. He walked over to his bedside and picked up a picture frame from the table. "I loved them very much and they were my only friends."

"I do not understand," Kory began. "You seem so different now than when you were Robin. It is as if I do not know who you are."

"What makes you say that?"

"You are so much…darker, more mysterious. It is if you are someone else, something truly sinister, that is…I do not know, I am so confused."

"You're saying I've become like the Batman."

"Yes, I think that is what I am trying to say."

"Ironic, isn't it? Once I promised myself I would never be like him, yet here I am, standing in his shoes." He turned to her. "Are you trying to tell me that you think I'm different just because I'm the son of a billionaire? You think I'm above you because of the wealth I have?"

"As I said once before, you confuse me," Kory's eyes fell. Dick gently took her chin in his hand and raised her eyes to meet his.

"You've always known who I am, Kory. I have been the same person I always was, and I've not changed at all, even if I have money. Money doesn't matter to me. If it did, I wouldn't be Robin. I'd just be a spoiled brat named Dick Grayson."

Kory gave a small laugh. "I cannot ever see you being a 'spoiled brat'. That is not a part of your personality."

"Listen, I've been wanting to tell you something."

"What is that?" she asked.

"I never told you this, but I heard you."

"You head me? What did I say?" Kory asked, confused.

"Your conversation with Raven, when you told her you would never forgive yourself if something happened to me. I heard you say that."

"How did you hear me, you were not conscious."

"I think your conversation came to me subliminally in my subconscious, but I heard you just the same."

"The Man of Jokes shot you because he was trying to hurt me. It was my mistake to follow you here, you were injured because of me—"

"Listen Kory," Dick interrupted, tenderly slipping his arms around her waist. "You don't need to blame yourself for my actions," Dick gently pulled her into a hug. "What happened to me was not your fault." Kory let out a sniff as she began to sob into Dick's shoulder.

"Hey now, don't cry Kory, shh…" he soothed his voice filled with tenderness. "It's okay now. Just calm down…it's alright…"

She pulled away after a few moments and looked up at him. "I love you, Dick Grayson," she whispered softly. Unexpectedly, she pressed her lips to his in a sweet kiss. Dick was quite startled by her actions, and decided to gently push her away. He saw the hurt look on her face and immediately regretted it.

"Hey, now, cut it out, Kory…you can't be—serious—about—this…" he tried to object, but then he felt his willpower slipping as he gave in to her kiss. He let his lips find hers and held her close to him. He absentmindedly ran his fingers through her hair. He felt her thumb brush against his cheek as they kissed. He blushed bright red but she didn't notice.

"Excuse me, Sir, I was wondering if you needed anything," Alfred's voice boomed out of nowhere. They swiftly pulled away from each other; both faces were blushing bright red. Dick was as red as a fire hydrant.

Alfred glanced at the two of them. "I can see I have interrupted something very intimate between the two of you. Pardon my interruption, Sir, I'll leave you two alone." He made a hasty exit, leaving them alone once more.

"I must be going to bed now, I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Kory."

"Good night, Dick."

"I love you," he said softly.

"I…love you also," she replied. He watched her leave in silence. He smiled to himself. Walking over to the door, he shut it and got ready for bed.

Turning out the light, he went to sleep. He knew that this was the beginning of something very special between them. He slept that night, hoping that what they shared would stay with them. He had almost lost her once; he wasn't going to let that happen again.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

_The Joker looked up in shock as a rocket-sized missile came up from the roof of the T Car. Before Scarecrow could react, the front of their car was blown to bits, sending them careening into the guard railing on the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge. The vehicle was a smoking ruin. _

_Coughing and sputtering, the two Arkham inmates climbed out of the car. "You bumbling idiot! If I had a gun, I'd shoot you!" Joker shouted. "Where's Harley when I need her? At least she knows how to drive, unlike you Crane!" _

"_It wasn't my fault they got away with the Batman," Jonathan Crane retorted. "Chasing them was your idea, not mine!" _

"_Are you blaming me for this?" Joker hissed threateningly. "If you notice I wasn't the one driving." _

"_All the same, we need to get out of here," Crane muttered. _

"_At least I have a backup plan," Joker smirked. He pulled out a stolen cell phone. He dialed a number and waited for the other line to pick up. _

_A chipper voice answered and Joker felt the need to throw the phone on the ground and smash it to pieces. "Hello Boss, is that you?" _

"_Of course it is! Who did you think it was, the I.R.S?" Joker asked. "Get down to the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge and get us out of here! Batsy got away after I shot him. Knowing the cops, they'll be here soon. " _

'_Sure thing Boss, I'm on my way," she said, hanging up. _

_Joker shut off the cell phone and threw it out a window. "I can't believe I had to do that!" Joker mumbled to himself. Crane looked at him. _

"_Now that you've taken care of your business, it's time for me to attend to mine." _

"_What kind of business would that be Crane?" Joker asked. _

"_I have a vendetta against a member of the D.A.'s office, Rachel Dawes, I assume you remember her." _

"_Oh, yes, the pretty little lady who is the Assistant D.A., I remember she's the one who sent me to Arkham Asylum. He, he, he, ha, ha, ha!" Joker began to laugh. "If your business is with her, then I'd better come along too. After all, we both have something in common with Rachel Dawes: We both hate her in that mean-spirited sort of way." _

_"It's time that we go and teach Ms. Dawes a lesson," Scarecrow said, a strange light coming into his eyes._

"_Yes, Ms. Dawes thought she could stay safe from us, with Batsy around, but she'll see we're the ones who rule Gotham City. Where is that blasted Harley Quinn?" _

_They both looked up in time to see the Joker's car pull up, Harley Quinn inside. "Hey Boss, I made it! Get in, get in, before the cops show up." They both climbed in. _

"_What in the name of blinking blue blazes took you so long?" he asked. _

"_I've been trying to get around unnoticed. Do you know how hard that is?' _

"_Stop complaining, Harley and get us out of here!" Joker ordered. Harley floored it, slamming her foot down on the pedal. Tires squealing, they drove away. _

"_So you didn't get Batsy, Boss?" Harley asked. _

"_I got him alright, shot him real good. The Dork Knight managed to get away in the Batmobile." Joker smiled broadly. "Guess he can't get us now can he?" _

"_I don't suppose so," Harley continued driving down the road, taking the back ways so they wouldn't be spotted by the cops or civilians who would recognize them. Speeding down through narrow streets, they pulled the car to a halt in front of the long abandoned LAST LAFF comedy club. They hid the car behind the trash bins and headed inside. _

_The hyenas growled fiercely and strained at their chains as Joker approached. "Easy boys. Harley have you fed the hyenas?" _

"_Of course I did, Puddin', I wouldn't forget to feed my precious little babies," she cooed at the hyenas. Joker felt sick to his stomach at this. He stomped over to a chair and sat down. _

"_So what are we going to do now that Batsy's out of the way?" Harley asked. _

"_Tell me Harley, do you remember Rachel Dawes?" Joker asked. _

"_Her? She's the Assistant D.A. who put us in Arkham right?" Joker nodded. "You got something planned Boss?" she asked, an eagerness in her voice which was usually meant for extremely different occasions. _

"_Let's just say I've got some scores to settle with that pretty little lady," Joker guffawed, snickering with maniacal glee. "He, he, he, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha hahaaa! Revenge is going to taste so sweet!" _

"_When're we gonna get her?" Harley asked. _

"_Tomorrow night Harley, we need to see what she's up to first." _

"_Okay, then, we're we going now?" _

"_We aren't going anywhere, Harley, I'm going to stake out her house, see when she leaves and when she gets home. When she comes back tomorrow she'll be in for a few surprises." _

"_Ooh, what if Batsy shows up, Scarecrow?" _

"_What makes you honestly think he's going to show up?" Joker roared. "I shot Batsy, haven't you gotten that into that pea brain of yours?" _

"_Y-yes, Boss, I know that, but what if he does come back?" _

"_You're asking me way too many questions, Harley. Just get Batsy out of your head and let me worry about him." Joker wrapped an arm around her shoulder; he pulled out a .22 caliber handgun. "If Batsy shows up," he pointed the gun at a burned out light bulb, "this is what's going to happen to him." He pointed and fired, the gunshot shattered the bulb and sent pieces of glass in all directions. _

"_But we have to wait until tomorrow, what are we going to do in the meantime?" Harley asked. _

"_How should I know what you're supposed to do?" _

"_Mr. J, can we go to the fair?" _

"_What kind of stupid, idiotic question is that? I hate fairs as much as I hate kids!" Joker roared. Stopping in mid rant, he let his hideous smile grow wider. "You know, Harley, you may be onto something." _

"_Really? What do you mean, Boss?" _

"_What a better way for the Joker to make an entrance than showing up at the County fair? Everyone loves a good clown. Who could be a better clown than the Clown Prince of Crime?" _

"_Oh, wonderful, Mr. J." _

"_Of course we're not going to go in empty handed. We're gonna take some goodies. How would you like to hand out cotton candy for the little kiddies?" _

"_That would be really fun!" Harley squealed, delighted. _

"_Especially if it's laced with a deadly poison! HAHAHAHAAHAAA HEHEHEEHEHEEHE HOO HOO HAHAHAHA!" _

"_I best be on my way," Scarecrow began to walk out the door. "Tomorrow night is going to be a living Hell for Ms. Dawes." _

"_What about me? I don't intend to just stand around while you get to have all the fun," Joker complained. _

"_If you want you can come," Scarecrow said. _

"_So you were one of the psychiatrists at Arkham? Ironic how the nut who took over the nuthouse became a patient," Joker chortled. Scarecrow glared at him, but he continued to laugh anyway. He found it frightfully funny. _

"_Tomorrow night Joker?" Crane looked at him. He nodded. "Meet me in the Narrows, we'll find Ms. Dawes from there."_

_

* * *

_

Rachel Dawes had just exited the building when she saw a auspicious looking car pull out of the parking lot. She frowned and walked to her own car. Climbing in, she turned the key in the ignition. She left the D.A.'s office and made here way to Wayne Manor.

It was a warm and welcome sight to see. The old mansion was a very familiar place to her. Her mother had been the grounds keeper and she had lived there for a major part of her childhood. She was a friend to Bruce Wayne after his parents were murdered and she was one of the few people in Gotham City who knew that he was the Batman.

Rachel Dawes pulled up to Wayne Manor, getting out of the car; she walked up the steps to the vast doors. She knocked on the door and Alfred answered it.

"Come in, Ms. Dawes, I'm sure Master Dick will be delighted to see you." He let her in and she walked into the living room where Dick Grayson was waiting, along with Kory, Gar, Victor and Raven.

"Hello, Mr. Grayson, are these friends of yours?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, this is Kory, Gar, Victor and Raven. Guys this is Rachel Dawes, she's the Assistant down at the D.A.'s office."

"It is nice to meet you, Ms. Dawes," Kory said politely.

"Please, call me Rachel. I came by to tell you that Bruce is being released from the Hospital today."

"Alfred told me already, but it was nice of you to stop by. I haven't seen you in awhile."

"I know, how is everything at the D.A.'s?"

"It's been a chaotic mess recently. I came by to tell you that I think someone's stalking me."

"Really?" Dick asked. "Why ask me?"

"Don't play ignorant with me, Dick Grayson. I know that Bruce is Batman."

"_What?"_ The others, along with Dick, stared at her slack jawed.

"You know about Bruce?" Dick asked.

"Yes, he told me he was Batman. It's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you."

"That's very true Rachel," Dick smiled.

"I also know that you're Robin. I'm the one who helped Bruce Wayne get you away from Social Services and pulled strings so he could legally adopt you. When Robin first appeared I put two and two together."

"He never told me that. Why didn't he tell me that?"

"Something between friends."

"Ah, now I understand. You said you thought someone was stalking you?"

"I don't know, I can't say for sure, but I saw a suspicious looking vehicle pull out of the parking lot at the D.A.'s office when I left."

"Did you get a good look at the driver?"

"No. I have no idea who'd go after me though."

"Rachel, Joker and Scarecrow have escaped from Arkham Asylum. They've been missing for three days."

"Oh no, I think he's stalking me. He has a personal vendetta against me. I'm the one who had him placed there after the Batman captured him. He's probably come to kill me."

"I wouldn't doubt that. Come downstairs, I need to give you the antidotes for Joker's gas and Scarecrow's poison. If you're inoculated in advance you should be safe. Carry a weapon, and be careful when you get back to your house."

"I have gun," Rachel said.

"That won't help you Rachel, a measly little weapon like a gun won't stop the Joker."

"What am I supposed to do? Live in fear for the rest of my life. I'm not some damsel in distress, I can take care of myself."

"I don't doubt that."

"I would really appreciate it if you would watch over me tonight."

"You don't even need to ask, I had a feeling he was going to come after you anyway. I read about your crusade to get him to locked away in Arkham Asylum."

"Thank you Dick. I'm very relieved. I've got to be going home now."

"I suggest that you don't sleep in your room. He likes to strike at night. He especially likes to terrify people when they sleep."

"I am a witness to this," Kory said. "He attacked me when I was asleep."

"I appreciate the advice. What if he shows up before you get there?"

"If you inoculate yourself you should be safe, but be prepared to fight for your life if you need to. The Joker has murdered countless victims, I'd hate for you to be the next."

"Just so I don't forget," Rachel pulled out the syringe and injected both antidotes into her body, "I've injected both of those into me; I'll see you later Mr. Grayson, I need to get back to work. It was nice to see you again."

"I'm glad you stopped by, Rachel."

"Any time, Dick. Good-bye, it was nice to meet all of you." Rachel got up and ushered herself out. Dick followed her to the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow evening then, you're sure you'll be alright?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. Now you be careful, I don't want you to get hurt. It's bad enough that Bruce is injured.

"Don't worry, I'll be safe. I can survive an ordeal with the Joker."

"Good-bye, Dick," she smiled, she closed the door behind her. Dick watched her leave. He hoped she would be able to make it out of this incident alive. He would do everything in his power to protect her. He made a promise to Bruce, and he intended to keep it.

Dick rejoined his friends in the living room. Sitting down, he noticed that Victor was looking at an old photo of Batman and Robin. He remembered that it was taken before he left for Jump City, when he had been Batman's sidekick.

"There is one thing I don't understand," Victor began. "How did you manage to fool us into thinking you were Batman? I looked at a picture of you two and no offense, but you're awfully short."

"That's because, I wear leg extensions," Dick said. "I don't wear them during the day though." Dick laughed. "None of you noticed how I shrank?"

"I honestly never thought about it."

"If you're in leg extensions how do you manage to fight?" Gar asked. "I mean, you move pretty quick for someone on a pair of stilts."

"It's a special kind from Wayne Enterprises. I've had to pull off impersonations of Bruce before, and these are high tech so I can control the movements of the extensions with my feet."

"Dude, this is _way _too complicated," Gar said.

"Yeah, but it's worth it. I have to help Alfred clean the house. Bruce is coming home tomorrow."

"Mr. Wayne is coming back, tomorrow?" Kory asked.

"Yes, and I need to make sure this place is ready for him." Dick got up from the couch. "You guys don't mind helping do you?"

"No, not at all," Victor said, and for the rest of the day they cleaned out Wayne Manor, cleared what was left of the rubble and vacuumed the house.

Raven used her powers to vacuum the floors. Running two vacuums at once she helped Starfire with cleaning the halls while she dusted old suits of armor and various paintings of members of the Wayne family.

Victor and Gar helped Dick clean up the Batcave. Victor repaired the computer and Gar helped clean up the destroyed laboratory. Dick cleared everything out and they had just finished when he removed a dusty tarp covering a large pile of equipment.

"I finally found it!" he exclaimed as he surveyed the scattered parts and pieces. The two boys ran over to him.

"What's that?" Gar asked.

"It's the Batbot, or it's supposed to be," Dick explained. "I guess Bane didn't destroy _everything_ in here. I plan to put it back together when I have the time."

Alfred walked in through the elevator. "Well the Manor is clean and everything is ready for Master Bruce's return."

"They're all finished up there? Great, now we have to be ready for tonight."

"Ah yes, our happy friend is going to attack Ms. Rachel tonight. Might I suggest an accessory?" he removed a cowl from a shelf and handed it to him.

"Thanks Alfred."

"Listen Victor, tonight I need you to track a lead the police found on the Joker. They say they found a cell phone at the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge. It has a phone call to a number located in an abandoned part of Gotham. I need you guys to go check it out. I'll worry about the Joker."

"You don't want us to help?" Vic asked.

"Dick, you need all the help you can get," Gar protested. "You can't take him by yourself."

"Yes, I can. I've done it before. I don't want anything to happen to you guys. We almost lost Kory…"

"We can take care of ourselves, Dick."

"Just do as I say and trace that phone call. Joker's quarrel is with me. Besides, I have some scores to settle. It would just make it worse if you all came with me."

"Alright, but if you need us, we'll come."

"Thank you."

"And Dick," Victor began.

"What?"

"Stay safe, we don't want to lose you either."

"I will."

* * *

"Boss, can I come too?" Harley asked in a high-pitched whine. "You got to go chase Batsy, now it's my turn to have a little fun."

"Fine, you can come too, if that'll shut you up and keep you from whining."

"Of course, Mr. J. Whatever you say."

"Good, now get in the car. We nay need you to make a quick getaway, just in case something happens."

"I see," Harley said, "I'll be waiting here."

"Tell me again, what are we doing here?" Harley asked, "This is the D.A.'s office. They could see us."

"They won't be seeing anything of me. I'm not gonna get real close. I'm just gonna watch and see when Ms. Dawes leaves the building." Joker ordered Harley to make a wide sweep of the parking lot. They drove around, Joker watched for Rachel to walk out of the building. She soon came walking out the front door.

"Should we get her now Crane?" Joker asked. "I'm ready when you are."

"No, not yet, we need to wait until it's dark. Too many people out there might call the police. Tonight when she's at home. It's much easier that way."

"Okay, let's get out of here," Joker said. "Harley, make it quick." Harley drove out of the parking lot and made their way back to their hideout. They spent the rest of the time scheming and planning. Revenge was going to be wonderfully sweet. And there would be no one to stop them this time. They made their way towards her house; Joker placed his eye against the peephole, peering inside the house. There was a light on in the living room but he couldn't see if anyone was inside.

Shrugging his shoulder, Joker nonchalantly kicked down the door. Scarecrow followed, berating Joker for being an idiot, screaming at him that the entire neighborhood had probably heard that and that undoubtedly the cops would show up at any given moment and arrest them. The Joker turned to him.

"Oh, come on Craney, lighten up and laugh a little will you? Batsy's gone and we're about to take out one of Gotham's most powerful D.A.s."

"I don't think so Joker," Rachel Dawes stepped out from around a corner, slamming her knee into his groin. Stunned, the Clown Prince of Crime doubled over in pain. Hs face twisted into a hideous glare.

"You tow aren't going to get away with this," she pulled out a Taser and aimed it at Scarecrow just as he moved to spray her with his toxin. The poisonous gas clouded her view for an instant as Joker lunged at her.

Scarecrow swore angrily, "My poison, she should be scared to death right now! She's unaffected by it!"

"Get over it, Craney, let's just kill her!" Joker spat back.

She jumped back, throwing a quick punch towards his face, the blow only grazed him, and she began backing up into a room, which was not a very wise choice considering the situation she was in.

Joker grabbed her shirt and tried to yank her towards him, she spun away and he managed to tear it at the bottom. Rachel quickly grabbed a gun on a coffee table and cocked the trigger. "Stay away from me, Joker, you too Crane. I won't hesitate to shoot."

"Come now Ms. Dawes, what makes you think a little gun will stop us from killing you?" he sneered.

""I'm not afraid to use it!" Rachel warned. "I will shoot you if I you come anywhere near me!"

"Oh we'll see about that!" Joker moved impossibly fast, disarming her and slamming Rachel into the wall. "I'm going to enjoy this," he cackled.

Suddenly, someone crashed through the window and landed, crouching on the floor.

"Batsy! Why can't you ever stay dead?" Joker screamed.

Scarecrow just shrugged his shoulders and rushed at Batman. Batman blocked a punch and smashed his fist into Scarecrow. As he staggered beck, Dick slammed his knee into his stomach and brought his elbow up in a diagonal sweep, connecting with Crane's jaw. He quickly delivered a swift kick to the Doctor's stomach, grabbing his arm, he twisted it back forcing Crane to drop his Fear Toxin. Dick smashed his elbow into the small of Crane's spine; screaming in agony, he hit the floor.

Joker, seeing his arch nemesis, sprang forward, executing a lethal kick aimed at Batman's face. He leapt out of the way and let Joker's momentum carry him across the room. Joker landed on his feet and hit Batman's midsection hard with a stinging blow. Dick gasped and jumped back. Joker staggered and threw a punch, Dick encircled Joker's arm with his elbow, sending his aim wide of his target, lowering his head down and charged the Joker like a raging bull he executed lightning quick punches, smashing his fists into Joker's stomach, smashing his elbow into his thigh, then his abdomen, an elbow connected with a shoulder, then he smashed his gauntlet into Joker's mouth.

The joker struck back, smashing an elbow into his face. He grabbed him and head butted him, Batman flew back and hit the floor. Skidding, he slid back a few feet and kicked out, knocking the Joker's feet out from under him. Joker hit the floor and tired to move as Dick climbed to his feet and grabbed him by his shirt. Batman head butted him as hard as he could. Be brought his knee crashing into Joker's abdomen repeatedly. Joker began to cough up blood and Batman threw him onto the floor. Joker lay on his back, wheezing painfully.

Joker was about to roll to his feet when he felt someone grab his neck in an iron grip. "Not this time Joker," Batman growled, his elbow connected with the back of Joker's head and he slipped into unconsciousness. Batman looked up in time to see Crane grappling with Rachel for the handgun and he moved to help her.

"Scarecrow!" Batman roared.

"You may have been able to stop the Joker, but you won't be able to stop me!" he wrestled the gun away from Rachel as she hit the floor. She scrambled to her feet, backing up. He cocked the gun and prepared to fire. Batman rushed forward, smashing his elbow into Crane's pressure point at the base of his neck. Screaming, he dropped the gun and turned around to face him.

Batman whirled around kicking him, his foot connected with his head and he watched his skull snap back with whiplash. Batman brought his elbow up and struck Scarecrow. He staggered back, Dick grabbed him and head butted him. He grabbed him by his shirt collar and knocked him into the wall.

"What's Joker planning?" he demanded.

"He's right over there, why don't you just ask him?"

"I don't have time for games! What's he planning?"

"It's too late now, you won't be able to stop him even if I told you what his plans were."

Dick didn't notice the Joker woke up and began crawling toward the window. He decided that this was his chance to make his escape. Rachel saw him and shouted, "Batman, the Joker's getting away!"

"I knew he would betray me!" Scarecrow screamed.

""Just your luck, Craney," Joker smirked sarcastically. He leapt out the window. Batman knocked Scarecrow unconscious and ran to the window. Looking out, he saw the Joker's car pull away from the back of the house.

Dick slammed his fist on the coffee table. "That's the second time he's escaped me."

"At least we've got Crane, I'm calling Commissioner Gordon," Rachel picked up the phone and dialed 911. She gave them directions to her house and told them to inform Commissioner Gordon that Batman has Scarecrow.

A few minutes later, Jim Gordon and Detective Ellen Yin arrived. Yin cuffed Scarecrow and led him to the squad car.

"I'm glad you got here in time," Detective Yin smiled. "I was afraid this would turn into a homicide. Rachel told me about the Joker stalking her."

"I only do what I can, Detective. What's this I hear about you receiving a promotion, _Captain _Yin?"

"Yes, indeed, I have received a promotion. You've brought us hope; hope that things will get better. But if we stop now, everything will be lost."

"I know Captain." Dick smiled. "I need to be leaving now. I have to track the Joker."

"Godspeed kid," Captain Yin said.

"Good night, Captain Yin, Ms. Dawes." They watched as Batman vanished from sight. She turned her head and walked out of the room. Rachel Dawes decided to find another place to stay for the night. They both wondered if this was the last they would see of the Joker…

* * *

The next day Dick waited impatiently at he door, Rachel Dawes had gone to the Gotham County Hospital to pick up Bruce Wayne and bring him back to Wayne Manor. He watched as the door opened, Rachel Dawes pushed Bruce Wayne wheelchair inside. Dick smiled warmly, "Bruce are you alright?"

"Why even ask?" he looked at his ward dejectedly.

"Oh, I see."

"I have to get back to the office. Take care of yourself Bruce," Rachel said as she walked out the door.

Alfred was waiting for them in the kitchen. "I thought I might prepare your supper," he said as Bruce wheeled himself in. Dick quietly followed him.

"I'm not hungry, Alfred."

"Very well, Sir."

Dick watched Alfred leave the room. "Bruce what's wrong?"

"You of all people should know what's wrong with me Dick," Bruce said quietly.

"If this is about the fact that Bane broke your back, Raven can heal that so you can—"

"It's not about my back, Dick. A broken body can be dealt with. A broken spirit, that's something else."

"What do you mean?"

"When you look too long into the abyss, the abyss looks back through you. Maybe it's time for Batman to return to the night that spawned him before anyone else gets hurt."

"Bruce, don't say that. I came back here to help you! And now you're just giving up!" Dick shouted. "I have fought and bled for you, heck, I'd even die for you, but for you to just walk away because of one failure is something I won't accept."

"You don't understand, Dick, and you never will until you've been in my shoes. Bane didn't break my back; he broke _me_. What good have I done for Gotham all these years? Has it helped at all? They sell T-Shirts of me, I've become a cliché, more of a tourist trap than a threat."

"This City would shrivel up and die without you, and you and I both know it!"

"There is something I wanted to tell you," Bruce began.

"What's that?"

"I've found someone to replace you."

"Replace me? Who?

"A man I know, Jean Paul Valley, he's a highly trained warrior who will fill the role of Batman until I a m ready."

"And I do not fill the role of Batman?"

"You let Joke escape, not once but _twice_," Bruce said scathingly.

"He shot me the first time and I had Dr. Crane to deal with! I can't be everywhere at once."

And speaking of being everywhere at once, I think it's time you return to Jump City."

" Why?"

"Because you and your friends need to go back home. You've been away too long."

"Since when did my city concern you?" Dick demanded. "That's _my_ responsibility."

"It was foolish of you to bring your friends and leave the city unprotected," Bruce spat out angrily.

"I didn't bring them, they _followed_ me here!" Dick fumed. "They left the Titans East in charge of the city while they were here, and _I _have not been irresponsible."

"You're leaving Wayne Manor in a month," Bruce said flatly.

Dick glared defiantly. "I won't leave, until I know this Jean Paul Valley is ready to fill your shoes, even if it's a week, a month, or five years, I'm not going to leave. And you can't make me either."

"Yes, I can this is my house and I'm you're father!"

Dick glared at him andshouted, "You were _never _my father, you're nothing but a stone cold, self righteous monster! And you will never be my father. My father was John Grayson; at least he knew how to be a real father to his son. You have no idea what it's like to be a _real_ father."

Dick turned and began walking out the door. "Don't you walk out on me young man!" Bruce shouted. Dick refused to answer him. Alfred waked past him. Dick slammed the door as he left.

"Well Sir; that did not go over well."

'No it didn't," Bruce stared off blankly.

"He's right you know," Alfred commented.

"Right? Right about what?"

"You cannot give up being what you are Master Bruce even if you fail."

"I thought you were talking about how I can never be his father."

"Well, honestly Sir, you can't be his father. Just as I could never be your father after Master Wayne was murdered. I taught you that you can never replace the ones you love but, we can try to move on from our pasts."

"Yes, it seems I've forgotten how. I always thought I could…be a father to him. I guess I was wrong."

"We all make mistakes Master Bruce, we're only human."

"Yes, It seems I lost my humanity a long time ago, but I fell, and I don't know what to do."

"Why do we fall Sir?" Alfred asked. Bruce looked at him. "So we can learn to pick ourselves up."

"I know what you're saying Alfred, that I should apologize and mend fences with Dick."

"I won't tell you what to do Sir, but I will say that the most important relationships we have are with the ones that we care about the most." He straightened up for a moment.

"Shall I fetch you some supper, Sir?"

"No thank you, I just want some time alone to think," Bruce replied.

"Very well, Sir," Alfred left, shutting the door behind him. Bruce sat alone in his room. He thought about what Alfred had told him. He knew the old butler was right, but he had no idea what he was supposed to do.

* * *

Dick found his friends down in the Batcave. Kory noticed the drained look on his face but said nothing. Raven was meditating in a corner, Gar was using the Batcmputer to play Meg Monkeys Four, and Victor was in the laboratory, running some equipment. He walked over to Victor.

"Dick, is something wrong?" Kory asked.

"I'll tell you later Kory," Dick replied. He was too exhausted and emotionally drained to even think about his argument with Bruce. He walked over to Victor, who was analyzing data from a sample of something that resembled pink string.

"What's that you're looking at?"

"Well, we did what you said and traced the call that Joker made on that cell phone the police found. We tracked the call to an abandoned building called the LAST LAFF COMEDY CLUB. There wasn't anyone in there and we looked around when Kory found this in a corner. He held up a pink case of cotton candy.

"Did you run an analysis on it?"

"I'm almost done. I'll tell you when the results come in."

"Okay, let me go get the others, they may want to see this.

"Dick we have something serious, here. The Cotton Candy we found at Joker's hideout is laced with poisonous mercury salt!"

"The County Fair, there will be thousands, oh no!" Dick felt he horror move through him like a toxin. "We have to go!" The cell phone at his side unexpectedly ran. He picked it up; it was Barbara Gordon.

"Dick you have to get down here!" Babs' voice rang out on the other end of the phone. "The Joker's here and he's giving away cotton candy! Oh no, oh no! The children, they're dying, he's killing them!"

"What's happening to them?" Dick shouted into the phone.

"It's horrific beyond words, get down here now!"

I'm on my way," Dick hung up the phone. The Titans gathered around him.

"Guys we have to go, I have to stop Joker before he slaughters thousands."

"We're ready to leave," Cyborg said. They climbed into the T Car. Dick got into the Batmobile and sped out of the Batcave as fast as he could. He prayed to God he would be able to get there in time to prevent a catastrophe, he knew that if he didn't come in time to save them he would blame himself for the rest of his life…


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

Dick pushed the gas pedal as far down to the floor as it would go. He pushed the Tumbler to its limits as he sped over the highway. The T Car flew alongside him; both cars zipped past oncoming traffic as they made their way across the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge.

He had a feeling he knew where Joker was. The County Fair was held every year at Amusement Mile. He used to go a lot when he lived there and he knew the place well.

Tires squealed as he careened sharply around a corner. They skidded through alleys and back streets he was looking for Amusement Mile. He knew he was close but he couldn't find the entrance.

Then, they spotted it; he saw the big banner advertising with the words GOTHAM COUNTY FAIR written on it. He brought the Tumbler to a screeching halt and opened the cockpit-like entrance. Leaping out, he landed on his feet and waited for the others to join him.

Cyborg jumped out, followed quickly by the others, they looked at him. "Where to first?"

"We need to find out where he is. Let me call Babs," he dialed the number. She answered. "Where is he?"

"His stall is right near the funhouse! I've tried to warn others. People are running away in panic. Hurry Dick, I'm too afraid to move…I've never seen anything this bad before…I—I just don't have any strength in me to do anything."

"Where's Tim?" Dick demanded.

"I tried to call him, his phone's turned off. He must be at school," Babs said shakily. "I—I couldn't contact him so I called you, but I couldn't do anything except warn everyone…and when they heard me, they turned and ran. People got trampled…it was just as bad as the poisoned Cotton Candy."

"We're coming, Babs." Dick quickly located Babs near the funhouse. Dick had never seen her so shaken before. She was pale and had such a traumatized look on her face immediately knew she had seen things that were horrific beyond description.

"Babs, what'd he do to them?" Dick asked, pulling his sobbing friend into a comforting embrace.

"Go and see for yourself Dick, we both failed…just look and see what happened."

He gently set her down and the others followed him out of the tent where she was hiding. He walked a few steps before he broke into a run. He saw the cotton candy stand with the sign FREE COTTON CANDY written in big red letters.

_The irony_, he thought. The sign was red as the blood of Joker's victims. He looked across the parking lot and before him lay a sight only imagined in his darkest nightmares. 16 children of various ages were scattered throughout the area, their pain filled faces showed their agony as their lives were cruelly taken from them. Their bloated bodies lay on the ground, like rotting corpses left on a battlefield.

"What in the name of Azar did he do to them?"

"It was the Cotton Candy," Cyborg explained. "He mixed it with mercury salt. It shuts down the liver. It's painful."

"By X'hal…" Starfire breathed. She had heard of the atrocities Joker had committed in the past. Robin never talked about his time in Gotham City but she had watched the news enough to hear of the Joker's exploits, but she had never seen them first hand.

She put a hand to her mouth it horror. She thought Slade's plan to use Robin as his apprentice was diabolical, and that Trigon's intentions to use his daughter to destroy the world was pure evil, but this…this was too repulsive for her to look at. Slade and Trigon both had a motives, Joker had none; he did this for pure sadistic pleasure. She felt the tears slide down her face.

Starfire looked to the others. Raven was barely in control of her emotions. She could see her friend was simmering with Rage bubbling beneath the surface of her calm exterior. Beast Boy was open mouthed with shock and Cyborg had a grim look on his face.

"Dick…" she whispered.

"No, wait, I hear something." She became silent and listened. Then she heard it, a faint noise, like breathing, only constricted and labored.

"A survivor?"

"I don't know Kory, not many survive Joker's attacks. Rachel Dawes was one of the lucky ones."

He began walking through the bodies, looking for the source of the sound. He stopped in front of a six-year-old boy. He had been one of the unfortunate ones who had eaten the deadly combination of mercury and sugar candy. Dick deduced that he hadn't eaten enough of it to instantly shut down his liver, but had consumed enough for it to take effect.

Dick knelt down and scooped the boy up in his arms. "Batman," the boy whispered. "I knew you'd come…"

"I've got to get you to a hospital."

"It hurts Batman…it really hurts," he sobbed.

"You're going to be okay, I'm going to get you out of here."

"Mr. Batman, what's Heaven like?" he asked.

"I don't know. How could I know when I live down here in Hell?" Dick whispered; but aloud, he said. "I'm sure it's a wonderful place…"

"What is it like?"

"It's…it's a place where there is no pain, or sadness, or crying. The streets are paved with gold, and there is no night there."

"Will I see my mommy there?"

"I'm sure you will," he replied. He didn't want to think about Heaven. How could he when he needed to save a life? Dick tried to remain focused. He had to get this boy to a hospital.

"You're my favorite superhero," the little boy said in a barely audible whisper.

"I'm no hero kid, I'm just like you," he replied. "I have to get you out of here!"

Unexpectedly, watched in horror as the boy's body began to convulse and writhe in agony. He was trying to breathe, but all Dick could hear was gurgling and gasps. He knew what was happening. Mercury salt was poisonous and could shut down both livers if the body was exposed to high doses of it.

"No, no, no, NO!" he shouted. "Stay with me! Come on, kid!" Dick attempted to resuscitate him.

"Raven, can't you do _something?_" he pleaded with his empathic teammate. The look she gave him was one of agonized helplessness. She knew no matter what she did, it would do no good.

"No, I can heal wounds, but I can't stop death…I came too late. We're too late, there's nothing we can do for him now."

"Dude," Beast Boy said in a broken, cracked voice. "He's gone!"

"No! _DON'T SAY THAT TO ME!_ He's not gone! I can save him!"

"Dick, there is nothing you can do—" Starfire whispered.

"I WON'T LOSE HIM! First my parents, then Jason, and now these people! How am I supposed to be a hero if I can't save anyone?" he roared in anguish. "Don't tell me I can't save him…don't tell me…I can't…" he let his voice trail off. He broke down into quiet sobs. Starfire watched as his shoulders spasm as he wept.

Starfire gently placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Babs had come out of the tent and was sobbing behind them. Just when their moment of despair was greatest, a fiendish laugh broke out from the funhouse. "Babs, go home, it's not safe for you here." She did as she was told and began running towards her car. He watched her go, at least she was safe. Now he had other things to deal with.

"Aw, what's the matter Batsy, feeling guilty because you couldn't play the hero?" Joker taunted. "It's too bad, you should have seen their faces when they first ate the stuff. Didn't know people were stupid enough to take things from the Joker."

Dick's body became rigid. He looked up and stared at the Joker, his eyes burned with an intense hatred that only the Joker could see. He hated him more than he hated anything or anyone, even more than Tony Zucco, the man who had murdered his parents. He could feel nothing, except a blinding rage, that filled up every fiber of his being.

"And now, Batsy, since you're just standing there…" he pulled out a .22 caliber handgun and fired it at his head.

"Titans, move!" he ordered as they all forced themselves to move out of the way. Cyborg looked at Batman. He nodded. Together they ran, leaping over the fallen and making their way into the funhouse. Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire made their way inside with them. The Titans began to run through the large maze of mirrors, trying to find the Joker.

Batman cautiously made his way down the reflected hallways of the maze. He looked around carefully, trying to spot the Joker. He jumped back just in time to avoid a bullet, watched as it connected with the mirror, shattering the glass. He looked at his contorted reflection for a moment before moving on.

"Through the looking glass, Batsy, up is down, black is white, and you're out of luck!" Joker shouted. Batman followed his disembodied voice, motioning for the others to be as quiet as possible. Starfire flew overhead, looking for the insane criminal. Someone fired a gun and a loud _bang_ was heard through the room.

"Everyone down!" Batman ordered. Everyone dropped on their hands and knees quicker than he could say _knife_. Starfire watched as a small capsule released strands of rope, wrapping themselves around Starfire's arms, pinning them against her sides. Struggling for a moment, she broke her bonds and continued moving towards the Joker who stood at the other end of the room.

They rose to their feet and began running towards him. Cyborg fired off a series of blasts from his Sonic Cannon. Joker dodged out of the way as Harley Quinn fired a revolver at them. Raven shot out an energy shield and the bullets bounced off harmlessly, hitting the floor with a soft _clink_. The rest charged forward when the energy dissipated.

Batman advanced on the Joker, he let his reflexes take control as the Joker fired a round from his handgun. Bullets few past him as he somersaulted to avoid it; his polymerized titanium cloak stopped the bullets as he sprinted forward. His fist connected with Joker's face as he dropped the gun in surprise. Dick felt a satisfied look cross his face, he wanted Joker to suffer just like he made all those people suffer, and no amount of pain he could cause Joker could compare to that of his victims.

He struck Joker again and again. He smashed his fist into him feeling his rage motivate him as he began to pour out his anger on his greatest foe. His frenzy blinded him to everything else that was happening around him, including Harley Quinn as she aimed her gun at his head. Starfire moved faster than the eye could see.

Starfire smashed into Harley Quinn, sending her sprawling onto the floor. She squealed as she hit the ground and scrambled for the gun. Starfire moved to prevent her from retrieving it. She managed to grab it and fire a series of shots at Starfire. She managed to dodge two and use her Starbolts to disintegrate the others. Starbolts hit Harley as she flew further back into the maze.

Starfire rushed after her. Cyborg shot off another round and Harley who was surprisingly nimble, dodged out of the way, "Too bad, Red," she mocked. "You can't get me."

"Yes, I can!" Starfire replied. "And I will!"

She grabbed Harley and slammed her back into one of the mirrors. Starfire grabbed her and knocked her unconscious. She looked over as Raven and Beast Boy ran over to the Joker. They watched as Joker suddenly pushed Batman off him with his feet, and sent him across the room. He leapt up and grabbed his gun and prepared to fire on Batman. He moved quickly to avoid it, and felt the burning metal zip pass his ear. He tried to move faster but every second seemed like an hour as he tried to dodge the bullets. He felt one hit his shoulder and breathed a sight of relief knowing that the Kevlar bi-weave held strong against it.

Batman smashed his fist into Joker's stomach and slammed a knee into his ribs. Joker gagged but managed a quick strike to his head. Joker hauled Dick up by his shirt and threw him across the room.

Joker executed a spin kick as Batman grabbed his foot and hurled him into a mirror. He rose to his feet with a confused expression on his face and charged forward. He punched out again, but Batman countered with a block and head butted him and smashed an elbow into his chest.

Batman struck Joker's stomach with his knee; grasping his wrist he threw him to the floor. He delivered a viscous kick to his face and punched him hard. A viscous kick to the head sent Joker reeling back.

Joker spat blood in his face as his grotesque smile slipped further up his face. "I expected a lot more than this from you, Batsy. Honestly, I'm disappointed." He staggered to his feet. He whipped out three playing cards and threw them with expert aim at him. Batman managed to avoid the razor sharp objects as he used a Bat-a-Rang to slice them in two.

Batman looked up in horror as a woman holding a small baby suddenly turned around the corner. Recognizing the Clown Prince of Crime, she turned to flee. The Joker leapt forward and grabbed her by her shirt and placed the gun against her chin.

"What are you going to do now, Batsy?" he asked tauntingly. "I have another hostage. Do you want to watch as another one of your precious citizens whom you work so hard to defend dies?"

"P—Please don't hurt me, I haven't done anything to you!" the woman pleaded.

"Well, little lady, that's what makes it so funny! Then again, you're right lady, I won't hurt you, I'll kill the little baby! HAA HAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAAA HAHAHAHAA HOOO HOOO HAA HA HAAAA!"

"No, no, _PLEASE!_" she begged.

"Let the woman go, or so help me God, I will make you pay!" Batman vowed.

"Oh, yeah, Batsy, how are you going to do that—?" he asked as Beast Boy suddenly barreled into him as bull. He screamed as he hit the floor. Beast Boy morphed into a gorilla and brought his fist smashing down on the gun, smashing it to pieces. Joker looked at him and smirked. He was about to turn and run.

laughing, he said, "So long Batsy! It was nice knowing you." He turned around to run straight into Cyborg. He gave Joker a hard punch that sent the pistol flying from his hands. He grabbed his wrist and twisted it around his back. He groaned in pain as Cyborg pinned him against the wall. He suddenly kicked back knocking him backwards. Beast Boy morphed into a rhino and barreled into him, knocking him over.

Raven grabbed him with her powers and pinned him there. "You ain't goin' anywhere Joker," Cyborg said. "You're gonna stay right here where you belong."

"And that's in Arkham Asylum," Batman finished as he walked over to them. "Looks like the joke's on you this time!"

"Never underestimate me, Batsy!"

"I never have." Dick slammed his foot into Joker's stomach, executing a quick kick he struck him hard, he struck again hitting Joker with his gauntlet. He somersaulted over him and executed a spin kick, each blow connected his enemy and kept him off balance.

Batman bent down and removed something from his shoe. He activated the RF transponder and the Titans along with the Joker looked around, they all thought they heard a strange noise. Suddenly, a large swarm of bats descended on the Joker. He screamed in terror and tried to swat them away. The creatures continued to swarm him as he tried to fight them off. Batman made a running leap and kicked him, his heels slammed into his head, he hit the ground unconscious.

The Police suddenly burst into the room, Captain Yin was leading them; she nodded at the Batman. "You finally caught him, thank God. Let's get him back to Arkham." The officers woke him and cuffed him and Harley Quinn.

He took one last look at Batman. "You know they can't convict me, Batsy. I'm criminally insane and they won't give me the death penalty. This is one fight you'll never win and you know it! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA HA HA HA HA HAHA HAAAA!"

"Are you alright, Ma'am?" he asked gently.

"Y-yes," she replied shakily. "I think I'm okay. What about my little girl? Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine, Ma'am," he assured her. "The Joker didn't hurt her," he said, handing the baby back to her.

"Oh, Carrie, Carrie!" she sobbed softly, cradling the baby. "Thank you, Batman! Thank you!"

"You're very welcome, Mrs.-"

"Kelly," she replied.

Batman noticed little Carrie wore a funny pair of green sunglasses. "What's with the green glasses?" he asked.

"I don't know, I guess she likes them," Mrs. Kelly smiled for the first time since her ordeal. "I'll never forget you, Batman," she whispered gratefully.

"Mrs. Kelly, you go home. Get some rest. You've had a very traumatic experience. You won't have to worry about the Joker. I'll have him locked up in Arkham Asylum for a long, long time."

She turned and walked away from him, she sobbed softly as she made her way home. She would never forget the Batman as long as she lived, she would tell Carrie Kelly stories about how he saved her life. She would keep the legend alive, even if everyone else forgot him.

Batman turned away from her and walked back to the Titans. Starfire noticed his fists were clinched and he said nothing to them as they drove back to the Batcave.

* * *

"Dude, do you want something to eat?" Gar asked.

"No, Gar, I'm not hungry, but you can go get something to eat if you want to."

"Let us know if you want anything."

"I'm going upstairs too," Victor said. "Are you sure you don't want anything?"

"Yes, just go and leave me alone."

"I'll be with them if you need me," Raven said, she turned and followed her friends upstairs. Kory looked back at them. She wondered if she should follow them. After all, he did want to be alone. She decided against her better judgment to stay. She knew something was bothering him, and she wanted to help him get through it. Maybe if she got him to talk about what they had seen, maybe it would help him deal with what he was going through.

She wondered what was going through his mind, she knew she would have plenty of nightmares because of the things she had seen that day. She worried about him though. She knew this sight, as horrific as it was, was something he had experienced too often. She understood why Dick never talked about his time in Gotham City; some of it was too traumatic to bring up, recalling events like this brought up unwanted memories and feelings.

The others went upstairs, she watched them go, she wanted to talk to Dick. She wanted to know how he was. He stood off in a lonely corner of the cave, she moved over to him. "Dick, what is wrong?"

"Kory, please; don't talk to me. Not now. I'm not ready."

"Why? Why do you not wish to talk about what happened?"

"It's too much for me, Kory. I saw the horrified look on your face when you first saw what he did to those children. There was nothing I could do to stop him…nothing I could do to save them. I promised Bruce I'd take up his mantle. I swore to myself I wouldn't fail him. Now I have, I let those children die! I didn't get their fast enough. I should have captured him when I had the chance! I should have captured him when he attacked Rachel Dawes! I—"

"You do only as much as one man can do, more than anyone is expected to do," Kory whispered. "We all fall Dick, even I fail. I do not know what you are feeling, but what I saw today will remain in the worst of my nightmares. Now I understand why rage drives you the way it does, but you do not need to blame yourself for what happened. It was him and him alone, do you understand?"

"I understand that, it's just—I don't feel it."

"Dick?" Kory asked.

"What?" he whispered.

"Who is Jason?"

"Jason Todd was my brother."

"I did not know you had a brother."

"He's not my biological brother, he's my adopted brother. Bruce Wayne adopted him when I left for Jump City. He became Batman's second Robin. He was very good at it. He was…a lot like me. Strong willed and determined. He made Bruce proud in ways that I don't think I ever could."

"Do not say that, of course Bruce is proud of you, why else would he request that you come back here and become Batman?"

"Well, one reason I tried to hard to prevent Joker from killing those people is because of what he did to Jason."

"What did he do to Jason?"

"Joker…Killed Him…"

"No wonder you were angry at the Mile of Amusement! But I do not understand, what happened to him?"

"Jason did some research about the true identity of his mother. Turns out, she wasn't dead as he had first thought, but she was alive and she was a nurse working in Iran, caring for the sick. He goes with Bruce to find her and they discover that the Joker has been blackmailing her. Batman ordered Jason to stay away from the Joker.

He refused and the Joker beat him half to death with a crowbar and tied his mother up in a warehouse and rigged a bomb to explode after he left."

Kory gasped in horror. "Was the Joker ever put on trial for this crime?"

"No, he had diplomatic immunity because he became the ambassador for the country of Iran. He could never be brought to trial for Jason's Death. As a result, he as never avenged, no justice given for him, and it has haunted everyone in the Bat Family ever since, especially Bruce."

"Dick, I am so sorry," she pulled him into a hug. He rested his head against her shoulder. He felt a little embarrassed but he didn't care. With his leg extensions he was six-foot-two, an inch taller than she was, without them she was three inches taller than him. "Why do you care so much?" he asked.

"You know why, Dick," she whispered.

"Yes, I do, but mere words won't take away my pain or my guilt. I failed to save those people, and that will be with me for the rest of my life."

"Yes, time heals all wounds, the people on Earth say. I just hope that is true."

"You're not the only one," he replied, kissing her cheek softly.

He gently embraced her, trailing burning kisses across her cheeks, murmuring her name quietly. "I love you."

"I know." She felt him run his fingers through her hair. She pulled him into a tight hug, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"What about the others?" he asked. "They could walk in on us."

"Does it matter? She asked. "We will not do anything further than this, correct?"

"No, if we did, we would probably regret it. I'm willing to wait for you. Besides, I'm not even of legal age…to do those kinds of things. I wouldn't want to get myself in legal trouble."

"I suppose we should go find the others—"

The Batwave went off and the large screen began to glow. "Batman, it's Captain Yin. We've found Bane's hiding place. It's in the Narrows. Where Scarecrow used to hide his toxin when he was smuggling drugs for Ra's Al Ghul. I'm sending you the coordinates."

"Thank you Captain," he replied. "I'll call the others, we're on our way."


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

Batman ordered the Titans to drop my Brentwood High School to pick up Tim Drake and Barbara Gordon. They pulled to a halt and saw the two crime fighters waiting for them. "We got your call, let's go," Babs said. They joined them in the T Car. Kory decided to stay with Dick in the Batmobile.

"How do we get down to the Narrows?" Cyborg asked.

It's on the lower side of town. Near Arkham Asylum." Tim looked at him. "Are you sure you want to go down there? It isn't exactly safe."

"Don't worry, We've gotten used to that," Cyborg laughed. "Can you guys give us directions?"

"There's no need for that," Dick's voice said over the communicator. "I've just pulled up beside you. Stay behind me and I'll show you how to get there."

They drove away from the school; Dick turned down a few streets and began taking the Expressway that led to the Interstate 17. He could easily take the back streets and alleyways into the Narrows from there.

"Well this isn't too bad, we just have to go find Bane and—"

Suddenly he heard a loud _thump_ as something hit the side of the T Car. Cyborg looked over to his right and saw a car driving next to them. A man with a gun was driving the car and firing at them. "What—Someone's shooting at us!"

"We have to lose him!" Dick shouted.

"How do we do that?"

"Follow me!" Dick said, taking the lead in front. Cyborg watched in confusion as he headed up an exit ramp of Gotham's hospital.

"Dick what are you doing?" he asked.

"Just trust me on this," he assured his friend as they sped up the parking ramp. Their pursuer followed them. They arrived on the rooftop. He skidded across the asphalt, tires squealing. He pulled to a stop at a dead end.

"What now? He's behind us and we have nowhere to go!"

"Dick what _are_ you doing?" she asked. "We are trapped here!"

"No, we aren't," he replied as he pushed a button on the control panel.

An automated voice said, "Weapon Systems activated." He grabbed a hold of the control and Kory saw him disappear into a cockpit. "Weapons Systems armed."

Kory felt the Batmobile rock from the impact as the missiles detonated. He retracted the controls so he was once again in the driver's seat. "Hold on!" he ordered. "Titans follow me, use your nitro thrusters on the T Car."

In the other car, Cyborg whistled. "I gotta get me one of those!" Babs and Tim snickered from their seats. "Come on y'all, let's go! We got a thug to ditch."

"Since when did Bane hire thugs to do his dirty work?" Babs asked.

"Who knows?" Tim shrugged. "Maybe he figured we were coming."

Kory felt her stomach leap into her throat as Dick blasted across the parking lot roof onto another rooftop. She wondered if he had, as Earth dwellers said, "lost his head". She thought he would have some sense and stay on the ground.

"Dude, do you know what you're doing?" Beast Boy shouted into the communicator.

"Shut up, Beast Boy. Of course he knows what he's doing," Raven retorted.

"Now if we could get this guy off our butt," Babs muttered.

"I'm coming up with some ideas," Cyborg retorted.

"I already have one," Batman said into the Communicator. "Pull in front of me, I'll get rid of our assassin/mercenary tailing us."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, don't bore me with questions Cyborg, just obey me! When you get passed all these roofs take I-18 to the intersection and turn at the first block on the right. Stay there, wait for me. I'll be there as fast as I can."

"Hear you loud and clear Batman," Cyborg said. "We're moving out."

Kory watched as the T Car pulled out in front of them, speeding across the rooftops, she watched her friends disappear. "Dick, you have, as Earth people say, 'lost your head!' How do we outrun him now?"

"What makes you think I'm trying to outrun him?" Batman asked.

"What are you talking about?" Kory asked.

"Don't worry, I have everything under control." Dick pushed the nitro button as the tank shot across another rooftop, smashing through a wall, he landed on the interstate; "There he is!" Dick muttered as he saw their pursuer as he sped onto the highway.

"He's smart, he made it here before I did," he turned and gave Kory a slight grin. "You ready to ditch him?'

"Yes, this is all rather tedious," Kory replied. "And flying across the top of roofs has made me sick to my stomachs."

Dick reached up and pushed on of the buttons on the control panel. "Look behind you."

As she did, she saw three pairs of sharps mace-like spikes shoot out onto the road. She caught a glimpse of the man's startled face as his tires hit the barb-spikes head on. She watches as the van flipped over and spun upside-down in the middle of the road.

"He won't be bothering us anymore. Now we need to meet up with the others." Dick drove the Batmobile to where Cyborg and the others were waiting for them.

"Anything happen while I was away?" he asked.

"No," he replied. "All's quiet, except for the traffic."

"Babs, have you gotten word on Bane's whereabouts? Has he moved yet?"

"No, he's still in Crane's old hideout," Babs replied. "We can't go near the place in the cars, that'll draw too much attention. We'll have to go in on foot."

"I thought so," Batman looked thoughtful. "We should split up and surround the place." There are seven of us. Tim, you come with Kory and I. Babs, you go with Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg.

"Okay," Cyborg said. How do we know he's actually in there?"

"Here," Batman tossed him something. "This is my optic cable. It gives you the ability to peek behind doorways without being seen."

"Nifty," Cyborg said, taking it from him.

"Uh, guys, we have a slight problem," Babs said. "Bane's got hired help this time. They're patrolling the outside."

"I see, I'm not worried about them."

"Why? Dude, they can shoot us down the moment they see us!"

"Have you forgotten who I am?" Batman asked, irritated. "I've been known to get into places more heavily guarded than this."

"Okay, okay, do you want us to go kick some butt or are you gonna handle this yourself?" Beast Boy asked.

"Just leave this to me," Batman said as he vanished from sight. He used his grapple gun to make his way onto another rooftop. He stealthily snuck across to the other side. He grabbed a Bat-a-Rang and launched it at one of the lights. It shattered the glass and the shuriken landed on the concrete.

The guards looked around in surprise and loaded their guns. "What was that?" one asked.

"It's the Batman! He's here!" another shouted, picking up the shuriken. Batman crept further back onto the roof as one of them fired his gun up into the darkness. The bullets missed him by a mile. He was hiding where they couldn't see him.

"I don't see him," the man said. "Do you think he can really fly?"

"You believe that nonsense? It's just some urban legend mothers tell their children. That's all." They both turned around. One of the two guards walked away.

"He's right, he's just an urban legend that all, ah—!" Batman swooped down on him and took him to the roof, using his grapple gun to hoist him up. On the roof, Batman slammed an elbow into the back of the man's head, knocking him senseless.

The other man whirled around, looking for his companion. All he saw was the man's gun. His partner had vanished into thin air!

"He's good," Beast Boy muttered. "How come he doesn't do this stuff with us in Jump City?"

"Well Beast Boy, if you haven't observed, this costume stand out like a painted target," Robin retorted. "You expect Dick to go sneak up on people when he's dressed like this?'

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Beast Boy said as they continued to watch. They watched as ten guards came running up and took their posts. "Okay…we have a problem."

"How's he gonna take down ten guys by himself?" Cyborg asked. "Do you think we need to help?"

"Let's just watch and see," Batgirl said. They saw Batman on the roof. He once again removed the RF transponder from the bottom of his shoe and pushed the button.

"I love this trick," Robin chuckled.

"It's too bad Bruce concentrated on beating them to a pulp instead of scaring them so much. It's fun to see the bats swarm people," Batgirl quipped.

"I thought the Batman scared people as it is," Starfire whispered.

"Oh he scares people alright," Batgirl assured her. "Don't doubt that for a second. "But like I said he doesn't use the RF transponder often, he usually drops in on people and scares the heck out of 'em."

The guards began to look around as something caught their attention. "Hey do you hear that?" one asked.

Another looked up and stared in terror. "What the—" His words were cut off as an enormous swarm of bats descended on them. The ten men began screaming, they dropped their weapons and began swatting at the creatures.

The others watches as the Batman swooped down into their midst, cape billowing in the wind, he landed on his feet executing a spin kick, knocking one of the guards off his feet. He punched another man in the face and blocked a blow.

He moved so fast he was a dark blur to the rest of the Titans. His movements were quick and precise. He smashed his elbow into the back of a man's had a finished him off with a punch.

He stepped over the unconscious men and nodded at his friends. He gave them the signal to follow him inside. The others made their way towards the door. "Dude, that was awesome!"

"Thanks," Batman replied. "Let's go, we don't have much time." They headed inside and made their way down a long hallway. They stopped outside a large doorway and Batman used his optic cable to peek into the next room. "He's in there, alright. Now I just have to come up with a strategy to beat him."

"Can I see?" Beast Boy asked.

"Knock yourself out," Batman muttered and handed him the optic cable.

"Dude, _that's _Bane?" Beast Boy asked, staring. "He's huge!" He handed it to Cyborg, who peeked in as well.

"It looks like he's on overblown steroids," Cyborg whispered. "How did he get muscles that big?"

"He's muscles are fueled with Venom, see the pumps on the sides of his arm? That's what gives him his power."

"How do you manage to fight someone of that size?" Starfire asked.

"Usually we have the Batbot, but unfortunately, it's disassembled at the moment."

"So genius, do you have a plan?" Robin asked.

"You guys storm the room when I drop in from above." Robin nodded.

"Alright, we got your back," Cyborg said.

They watched and waited as Dick vanished from the room. Beast Boy morphed into a woolly mammoth and backed away from the door. Cyborg and Robin were ready to burst into the room. Bane was looking at something when he turned his head. He shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to what he was doing.

Suddenly, the glass above him shattered. Bane looked up in shock. He jumped back as Batman landed on the table. Crouching down, he looked at Bane, "It ends here, Bane!"

"I think not, Batman. I am the last villain you will ever face!" Bane powered up his Venom; Batman watched as he grew in size until he was a mass of muscles and strength. He winced; Bruce had to face this? He watched as the Titans burst into the room. Mouths all dropped open as they stared at the size of their opponent.

"Oh boy!" Beast Boy muttered. "Let's hope we all come out okay."

"Come on, he can't be harder than Cinderblock," Cyborg said.

"Who are these insignificant insects?" Bane asked.

"Titans, Go!" Robin ordered.

Batman leapt up and executed a spin kick. Bane dodged and smashed his fist onto Robin, who flew back across the room. He landed on his feet. Starfire flew up and unleashed a Starbolt aimed at Bane's head.

Batman threw himself at Bane, punching and kicking. Bane blocked them as he smashed his fist into his face. Batman struck him with an elbow as Bane staggered. Bane unexpectedly grabbed him and smashed Batman's body into the floor. He moved with incredible speed and charged into Robin who grabbed his Bo Staff and clobbered him with it like a baseball bat.

Bane grabbed Robin's staff and snapped it in half. Robin kicked him but it felt like he was hitting a brick wall. Bane grabbed his let and bent it at an angle. Robin let out a painful scream as he felt his leg break as Bane threw him into the wall.

Raven ran over to him. She had to get him back into the fight as soon as possible. She knelt down and began to chant, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." She knew his leg wouldn't be completely healed, but she could reduce the injury to a mere fracture.

"Robin, are you alright?"

"My leg feels bad, but I think I'm okay."

Cyborg wrapped his arms around Bane's neck and tried to pull him back. Bane grabbed Cyborg's hands and slammed him into the floor. Cyborg activated his Sonic Cannon and fired it. The laser blast surprised Bane and he howled in pain.

Cyborg watched as Bane raised his fist and prepared to pound his face into the floor. Starfire flew up and grabbed his arm, and with superhuman strength, pulled it back. Bane screamed as Starfire unleashed her eye lasers. The beams shot into his back and he roared in agony.

Batman slammed his knee into Bane's chest and struck him across the face. His blows seemed useless. He felt the wind knocked out of him as Bane struck back. Raven used her powers to throw the mercenary across the room. He hit the wall and scrambled to his feet and charged into Batman.

Cyborg jumped in front of Bane and blocked his blow, grabbing his hands. The impact felt like a ton of bricks as Bane collided with him. He pushed back, trying to stop the hulking mass that was barreling towards his friend.

Batgirl hauled off a viscous punch at Bane, smashing her fist into him. Bane reached out and threw her across the room, hitting the wall hard, she was knocked unconscious.

Beast Boy transformed into a gorilla and grabbed Bane with both hands, swinging him around, he threw him into the wall. Starfire unleashed a flurry of Starbolts smashing into Bane. Roaring, he slammed his fist into Batman's shoulder, Dick felt a bone snap as he twisted away. He had a feeling he might be put out of commission if he didn't do something quickly.

Suddenly, an armored figure dropped down into the room. The Titans, along with Batman and Bane looked up. "Uh, dude who are you?" Beast Boy asked.

"Azrael," the voice said. Cyborg thought he knew the voice from somewhere but he couldn't place it. He leapt at Bane. He activated his flaming gauntlets and Dick saw the blades come out. He lashed out at Bane, caught off guard, the mercenary staggered back .

Filled with a sense of renewed hope, the Titans charged forward. Cyborg smashed his fist into Bane, startled, he flew back. Raven yanked him off his feet and threw him into charging green rhinoceros. Bane hit the floor, as Azrael sliced him with his gauntlets.

Azrael whipped out a flaming sword and stared at Bane. "You shall not escape me," he said in an emotionless voice. He raised it above his head, ready to bring it down. Bane ran to the gaping hole in the wall and brought his fist down on one of the supporting beams. They watched as a large crack weaved its way up the beam and into the ceiling. They quickly gathered next to Raven as she protected them with an energy shield. The roof collapsed and Bane made his escape.

Starfire walked over and helped a dazed Batgirl to her feet. She was rubbing her temples and looked dizzy.

As the debris cleared, Batman turned to their mysterious ally. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"People call me Azrael but since I know who you are Dick Grayson you can call me Jean Paul Valley."

"I saw you in the café!" Cyborg exclaimed.

"Indeed," he replied.

"How do you know my name?" Dick asked.

"From Bruce Wayne, he asked me to take your place as Batman after you left."

"Did he bother to tell you that he didn't consult me on finding a replacement?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"_I _should be the one asking _you _the questions," Dick glared at him. "Why did you come here in the first place? To gloat over the fact that you're replacing me and that Bruce is kicking me out of Wayne Manor _again?_"

"No, no, it's not like that at all! He didn't tell you about me?"

"No."

"I thought you two were close."

"That's none of your business!"

"I'm sorry, Dick. I know my arrival was…untimely, but I meant to talk to you about it very soon. I've been wanting to talk to you for weeks now."

"I know you're a good person, Jean Paul Valley, but that doesn't mean I trust you to replace me as Batman." Dick turned and began walking away. His friends stared at him. What _was _his problem?

"Fair enough," Jean replied and walked off without a word.

"Dude, what is your deal?" Beast Boy shouted. "That guy just saved our butts and you chewed him out for no reason!"

"I had every right to chew him out, Beast Boy! He's going to replace me!"

"Is that such a big deal?"

"Yes! Bruce asked _me _to be Batman. He never consulted me on finding a replacement. He just picked one. He didn't ask for my approval."

"Why would you need to approve?" Beast Boy asked. "Is it so bad that this guy wants to help?"

"You don't understand, you didn't have your replacement shoved in your face right after an argument with a stone cold, self righteous monster."

"Is that your view of your mentor, Dick?" Kory asked. "Is that what you really think of him as?"

"At the moment, yes!" Dick glared at her. "I don't want to discuss this now. We have to get back to the Batcave."

They headed back to the Batcave. Raven mended Dick's shoulder while Alfred set the bone on Tim's leg. Everyone else was busy reassembling the Batbot. Victor was putting it together. Dick thought he looked like a kid in a candy store. He seemed very happy working on the piece of machinery.

Alfred walked over to Dick. "I'm glad to see you're doing better, Sir," he said.

"My life would be a lot better if I didn't have to worry about him judging me all the time."

"If you're talking about Master Bruce, then I should say Master Dick that you shouldn't be too critical. Master Bruce is only finding you a replacement so you and your friends can go home soon."

"That's not why I'm mad, Alfred." Dick stared at the wall.

"Then why are you mad, Sir?"

"He didn't ask me."

"Didn't ask you. Didn't ask you what?"

"He didn't ask me about finding a replacement. I wanted to help him. I didn't want just anyone becoming Batman. I wanted it to be someone I knew I could trust to handle everything."

"I understand that, Sir, but you really must mend fences with Master Bruce before you leave. You have a little more than three weeks before Jean Paul dons the cape and cowl."

"I know, I know Alfred, but I don't know if I can."

"You will, Master Dick. You will. In the meantime, since nothing is really happening at the moment, might I suggest that you and your friends train a bit? Bane did a number on your friends."

"You're absolutely right, Alfred. You're absolutely right."

* * *

"Raven you're getting better,but you haven't got it just right. Begin again, please," Babs instructed. Raven assumed a fighting stance.

"Why do I have to learn martial arts again?" she asked.

"It's a lat resort, if your powers fail you for some reason."

"I see."

Babs swung at Raven. She ducked and grabbed a hold of her wrist and twisted it around her back. Babs suddenly flipped Raven over onto the training mat. "Always mind your surroundings."

"You're quite good at this."

"That's true," Babs chuckled. "Again. This time, make good use of your elbows."

Babs pulled Raven to her feet. She stood up, dusted herself off, and assumed her fighting stance.

Raven made the first move. She smashed her fist into Babs' face as she blocked the blow. Raven brought her elbow up and struck Babs hard as she turned with the blow and ducked down. Raven brought her knee up and smashed it into her stomach. Babs gasped and jumped back. Raven quickly spun around and kicked her. Babs flew back and hit the floor.

"You've improved. Very good," Babs congratulated.

"Thanks," Raven replied.

Suddenly the Batwave lit up and Captain Yin's face appeared on the screen. "Batman, Titans. We have a situation. It seems someone stole a pair of white albino tigers from the Gotham Zoo. They were special delivery from the orient."

"We'll be right down," Batman said.

"The culprit's gotta be Catwoman. Valuable Tigers stolen from the Gotham Zoo, definitely her M.O."

"Indeed, we have to go now," Batman jumped into the Batmobile. The Titans jumped into the T Car and Cyborg picked up the Communicator. "Dick, was it always like this when you were with Batman?"

"Basically. Come on, we got to go," Dick said.

The Titans headed down to the Gotham Zoo and quickly sprinted inside. They began looking around. "Where to?" Cyborg asked.

"The Tiger's cage. Let's look around. Maybe we can find something," Batgirl said.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Batman asked.

They headed deeper into the zoo, making their way towards the tiger cage. They arrived and began searching. Cyborg used his night vision to scan the area for intruders. He didn't find anything, he informed the others.

"Well, no sign of Catwoman. If she's been here before, she's long gone."

"And I know where to look," Batman said.

"You do?" Cyborg asked.

"I know who she is, Selina Kyle. She's an animal rights activist, and she's rather adamant about it too. She's also a jewel thief."

"How are we going to catch her without alerting her that we're coming?" Cyborg asked.

"We'll figure that out when we get there," Batman said.

* * *

They arrived at Selina Kyle's apartment, slipping in quietly. Beast Boy morphed into a bird and looked around. "Dude, she's not in there. I didn't see anyone."

"She's out, when she gets back we'll see what she did with those tigers," Batman said.

"So where do you think she is?" Beast Boy asked.

"I'm not sure, either she's out pilfering or soliciting money for animal rights causes."

"Oh, kinda hard to predict huh?"

"Basically, but I don't want to waste precious time running around Gotham. Unless, Captain Yin informs me of her whereabouts, we're staying put."

"I see," Raven frowned. "So you want to catch her when she comes home."

"How long are we going to be here?" Beast Boy asked.

"All night if necessary," Batman replied.

"I thought I heard something," Starfire whispered quietly. She pointed to a nearby rooftop and the others turned to look in that direction. They saw a figure move quickly through the shadows.

"It's her," Batman breathed.

Catwoman's whip snapped out and wrapped itself around the light post. As she swung herself across the roof Batman motioned for the others to find places to hide. The Titans scattered as Catwoman made her way onto the roof of her apartment. Walking towards a skylight, she removed a handful of shining jewels from her utility belt. "Not bad for a night's work," she commented.

"Indeed, Selina," Batman said, stepping from the shadows. "But I'm afraid you're going to the Gotham Penitentiary for awhile."

"Oh come on, Handsome, you can't be _serious_, after all the times I've helped you?" she looked at him, giving the adorable, innocent eyes of a kitten look. Batman tried not to roll his eyes at the sight of it. He knew how she played her games, her pretended innocence; all the ploys she used to weasel her way out of tight spots. .

He put his hand on his hips and frowned, "Sorry Selina, it's what I do."

"Always the sourpuss!" Catwoman growled and snapped her whip at him. He dodged back easily, avoiding the weapon. She charged forward and executed a quick kick.

He dodged the blow and struck her with lightening speed. She flipped back and brandished her whip. "Why must you spoil the fun?" she whined.

Batman watched as she attacked him relentlessly, trying to make an escape he knew would be impossible. He only had to look at his friends and give them a nod, and they would spring to his defense. He decided to wait however; he wanted information on the whereabouts of those two tigers she had apparently stolen from the Gotham Zoo.

"Where are you keeping the tigers?" he demanded.

"What makes you think _I_ stole them?" Catwoman shot back.

"You're a thief, and an animal rights activists, particularly feline in nature."

"Like I said, always the sourpuss, you take all the fun out of _everything_!"

"This isn't a game, Selina. Where are they?"

"Nope, that would be telling," she said, before leaping off the roof, she looked at him, "And the last thing I'd want is to make this easy for you."

"Raven, now!" he ordered.

Raven used her powers to grab a hold of Catwoman. She struggled for a moment then flailed her whip in her direction. Losing her concentration, Raven released the thief from her dark aura and Catwoman made a run for the edge of the roof, preparing to leap off and disappear into the night.

Beast Boy leapt into her path, as a great green tiger. She halted and stared at him. "Easy big fellow, I like cats, so just move out of my way now, okay?" Beast Boy merely growled and stayed put where he was.

"You won't be going anywhere Selina, I've got you surrounded." Cyborg, Raven and Starfire stepped out from their hiding places, ready to attack. "Where are the tigers?"

"W—well, I can tell you one thing handsome, I don't _have_ them."

"What do you _mean_ you don't have them?" Batman demanded.

"Let me guess," Batgirl smirked. "Someone ripped them off you."

"Exactly kid, I always said you were smart," Catwoman nodded at Batgirl. "Honestly, I don't have then."

"If you don't, then who does?" Batman demanded.

"Two Face."

"Two Face? Why would Two Face want these tigers?" Batgirl asked before Batman could say anything.

"He stole them from me soon after I left the zoo."

"Have you forgotten about who obsession with the number two?" Batman asked.

"No, and I guess that's why he swiped them from me."

"Do you know where he is?" Batman asked.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I want to be help," Catwoman said. She turned away from him. "But doesn't mean I can't be helpful."

"Where is he then?"

"I'll tell you, on one condition," Selina began.

"What would that be?"

"Let me help you and maybe one day you'll help me."

"No promises."

"Fair enough. He's in the old Steam Tunnel on the east side of the city."

"You lead the way, but keep in mind, I'm watching you."

"You're worse than a nosy cat in a room full of catnip."

"Just lead the way Selina," Batman said as she took the lead. He was not looking forward to this confrontation with Two Face. In fact, the dread crept through his entire being, filling him with a deep sense of fear.

If there was one man whom Robin feared more than Slade, it was Two Face. He had never revealed his secret terror to his friends: Two Face had given him a severe beating in his early years as Robin; he would have killed him the Batman had not intervened and saved him. So he had many reasons to be afraid…


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen**

"Batman? Are you alright?" Starfire asked.

Batman snapped out of his reverie. He turned to look at her. "I'm fine. We have to get going." He followed Catwoman down to her car and she climbed in. Removing a tracking device from his utility belt, he slapped it onto the back of the vehicle where she wouldn't see it.

"Come on guys, follow her. Make sure she doesn't try anything."

"What makes you think she will?" Cyborg asked.

"She's a sly one, Catwoman. It's something that's expected of her personality."

They drove down the street, past bustling crowds and stores. They watched as Catwoman wove her way through the city towards the Gotham Water Tunnel. She suddenly pulled to a stop in front of an abandoned building. They stopped and climbed out. Batman concealed his car behind trashcans and old tarps.

"Where is he?" Batman asked.

"I'll show you," Catwoman replied.

They slipped into the building as quietly as they could. Batman made Cyborg scan the area for booby traps and security systems. He didn't find any, and had to wonder why his friend had suddenly become so paranoid.

"Is there a particular reason you're doing all this?" he asked.

"Safety issues," the Batman replied curtly. "Two-Face isn't one to take lightly."

"I see. But why the extra precautions?"

"Too many encounters, too many mistakes. I'm not letting him get the best of me again."

"You care to explain further?" Cyborg asked.

"No." He turned to Beast Boy. "Can you track those tigers?"

"I think so, I got their scent and stuff back at the zoo. I'm sure I could find them. He morphed into a bloodhound and began sniffing around. He caught the scent and began running. The others followed quickly.

"Now we don't want to hurt those cats, alright?" Catwoman said.

"Yeah, and we don't want them to hurt _us_ either," Cyborg added.

"Yeah, right," she agreed. "We wouldn't want that now would we?"

"You're a real broken record aren't you?" Raven sighed.

"If you're talking about my precious babies in there, yes I am."

"There not _yours_," Batgirl huffed. "They belong to the Gotham Zoo."

"They belong in the wild!" Catwoman protested.

"If that is true, then why did you steal them?" Starfire asked. Catwoman made no reply and continued running through the hall.

"Quick, up into the ventilatiavon shaft," she hoisted herself up into the dirty opening, "he can't see us from here."

"You're kidding right?" Beast Boy asked, changing back into human form.

"No, she isn't. Now do as she says. It's our best chance to find Two-Face without alerting him. You heard her, get in!" He hoisted himself up through the opening.

"Okay fine, but we're all going to need a laundry mat after this!" Beast Boy grumbled as he joined them.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

They crawled through the air ducts, trailing Catwoman as she led them through the building. "Are you sure you know where you're going?"

"Of course I do. I was curious, so I followed him."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"But satisfaction brought her back. Now come on, we don't have much time."

They crawled further into the ducts. "Here we are," Catwoman said s she pointed to a figure through a small slit in a grate. "He's down there."

"Is there a way to get to him without being seen?" Batman asked.

"Come on, this way," Catwoman led them further until they came to another room. "Drop down. All of you, he won't be able to find us here."

They dropped into an empty room. Batman took in the view and looked at them. "Well, what step do we take first?"

"We could storm the room," Cyborg suggested.

"It could work, but I don't know if that would be the best thing."

"Come on; it's just one man," Beast Boy said.

"And two ferocious tigers," Raven countered.

"I haven't forgotten that." Batman said, "Be very careful. He's a good fighter." The others nodded.

"We will," Raven said.

"Last time I was here, I didn't see the tigers with him," Catwoman said.

"Let me use my optic cable," Batman muttered, using the cable to peek underneath the door, he looked into the room beyond. "Not this time. I see them, they're chained in the far corner of the room."

"So we just stay away from that side of the room," Starfired advised.

"And keep Two-Face from getting over there to use those tigers on us," Batman added.

"We don't want to go bustin' through the door like idiots," Cyborg observed. "Raven, can you take us in?"

"Good idea. Gives us the element of surprise," Batman winked.

"How do you know this is going to work?" Catwoman asked.

"We've done this before, trust me," Beast Boy said.

Raven engulfed the group in her soul self and teleported them into the room. Batman rushed forward, catching a surprised Two-Face off guard. He sent the criminal flying across the room. He hit the wall and scrambled to his feet.

"How did _you_ get in here?" he demanded.

"It doesn't matter, now hand over the tigers!"

"Sorry Bats, you'll have to make me!"

They tackled each other to the floor. Two-Face smashed his fist into Batman's face as he accepted the blow and stuck back. He felt the wind get knocked out of him as Two-Face kneed him in the gut and push him off with his feet. He flew across the room and slammed into a wall.

Beast Boy charged forward, changing into a snake and wrapped himself around the criminal's legs as he ran forward. He hit the ground uttering a loud _oof_ as Beast Boy morphed into a bear, raised his giant paw and prepared to strike.

A Starbolt flew through the room and singed some of the white hair off Two-Face's head. He managed to roll over and scoot out of the way as Beast Boy's paw smashed into the floor.

Two-Face scrambled to his feet and grabbed his handgun. Not knowing whom to attack, he flipped his coin, making a quick decision, it landed scratched face up and he fired at Batman. He barely managed to dodge the bullet.

Raven rose into the air, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" she summoned her powers and slammed Two-Face into a wall. He climbed to his feet and met Cyborg head on. If he were any other man, he would have thought twice about taking on a half-human-half-robot, but he was too blinded by fury to think twice.

He grabbed Cyborg and pushed him back with inhuman strength, even the Titan was surprised at this. He knew the man could fight, but this was unexpected. Two-Face suddenly executed a viscous punch and smashed his fist into Cyborg's face.

Cyborg staggered back and Raven hurled a chair at him. He avoided the chair and raised his gun and fired. Raven used her powers to protect herself with an energy shield. The bullet bounced off harmlessly and fell, clinking to the floor.

He fired again and she moved quickly to evade more gunfire. Robin and Batgirl leapt at Two-Face and began a ferocious attack, kicking and punching furiously. They moved with one intention: to take him down no matter what the cost.

Robin and Batgirl grabbed hands, she swung him around a full 360 degrees as he brought his foot into Two-Face's midsection. He gasped for breath and grasped Robin's foot and sent him spinning into a wall.

Catwoman flourished her whip and lashed out at Two-Face. Two-Face dodged the whip and fired his gun at Catwoman. She nimbly evaded fire and charged straight at him. She punched him and he blocked it, returning the blow in kind. He head butted her and she grabbed him by his shirt and threw him across the room. He slid to a halt and scrambled to his feet.

He tackled Catwoman to the floor and began striking her with reckless abandon. Starfire ran over and with superhuman strength managed to pull the raging man off her, which was quite a feat, even for Starfire.

Catwoman sprang to her feet and punched him as hard as she could. Two-Face winced but shook it off as he somehow managed to break Starfire's hold on him and shove her away. She stumbled backward and Raven moved to steady her friend.

Batman barreled into him. A quick elbow to the face and swift kick in the stomach sent Two-Face backward. He regained his footing, grabbing a maching gun, he fired into the air, shooting down some lose rubble. Before anyone could react, they were pinned beneath two tons of debris.

"Well, Batman. I have you and your little friends at my mercy. What do you think I should do with all of you? Don't really like the idea of letting you all go, but I can't let you just stay here either."

"Please, you can't do this Harvey. You're a good man; I know you're still in there. Fight him, fight Two-Face. He can't dominate your life forever."

"Oh, what do _you_ know Batman? Just because I worked with you to help take down Rupert Thorne does that give you the right to tell me what to do? Oh no, you don't know the _real_ me. You never did. I will decide your fate, and nothing you say could ever change my mind…"

"Harvey, please…" Batman whispered.

"Harvey's practically gone, Bats. You should have figured that out. Now there's only Two-Face, and now, to decide whether or not to shoot all of you."

"If the clean side faces up, will you let us go?" Batman asked.

"You have the word of Harvey Dent. If you win, I'll let you go," Two-Face fingered the silver dollar in his hand. He flipped it into the air.

Batman watched it spin as if it were in slow motion. The coin landed in Two-Face's hand. He frowned and looked at it. He turned to Batman. "Looks like you're in luck Bats, the coin was in your favor this time. I'm letting you and your little friends leave here alive. And I'm holding up my end of the bargain, those two cats can go with you."

"I do not understand, you are an evil man, yet you are letting us go and retuning the tigers? Why?"

"I'll explain later, Starfire. Don't ask now. We should leave before he changes his mind." Batman grabbed the two tigers and walked out the door. The others quickly followed him, particularly Catwoman, who had noticed the police had arrived in full force.

The police burst into the room. Captain Ellen Yin had her gun drawn and they surrounded Two-Face. "Two-Face, you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. If you can't afford the right to an attorney, the court will appoint one for you." She placed the cuffs on his hands.

"I know my rights, Captain. I was a District Attorney once, remember?" Two-Face looked at her.

"I haven't forgotten the old days Harvey," she whispered. Batman stopped halfway out the door and turned to looked at Two-Face. The two former friends shared a sad, resigned look; as if they knew that fate would keep them apart. They would always be friends, in a paradoxical sense of the word, but it would never be the same. They would never work together, D.A. and cop. He wouldn't prosecute criminals and dish out justice, he was the one who would be prosecuted, tried and punished.

Ellen Yin felt especially sorry for his ex-wife, Gilda Dent, they had loved each other very much. She had divorced him when he became Two-Face out of fear of what her husband's darker side might do to her. "It's too bad," she whispered.

"I know, Ellen, but…do you think there's still hope…for me?" he asked in a hushed whisper. She stared at him, startled. This wasn't Big Bad Harv talking, this was Harvey Dent, hidden somewhere in that broken, shattered mental state of confusion was a vague fragment of his former self.

"I'm sure there is, Harv. It's never too late." She led him to the squad car.

The Titans stood outside the tunnel, pondering the events that had just occurred earlier. "Dude, why'd he do that?" Beast Boy asked.

"It can wait," Batman said. "Let's get back to the Batcave."

"But what about the tigers, Handsome, you can't take them home now can you?"

"And _you_ can't take them home either, Selina. I'm returning them to the Gotham Zoo."

"Oh come _on_. I helped you get Two-Face. Throw a dog a bone!"

"Sorry, Catwoman. I made no promises."

"Aww!" she growled.

"I'm not going to lock you up in jail, yet. Stay straight and maybe next time I'll go easy on you."

"Oh fine, I have to go now anyway. Do reconsider, Handsome, I could give those cats a good home."

"It's too bad we won't be able to find out. These cats are going back where they belong." Catwoman ran to her car and drove off.

The Titans took them back to the zoo and locked them securely in their cages after Cyborg repaired the damage caused during the break in.

"Well, I guess we can go home now."

* * *

They arrived at the Batcave and parked their cars. They all climbed out and gathered around Dick Grayson as he removed the cowl from his face.

"Why did Two-Face let us live and return the tigers to us? I have heard of the horrible things he has done. What caused him to do this?" Kory asked, puzzled.

Dick looked at them, "It's a long story, but I'll begin from the beginning. Two Face was once a man called Harvey Dent. He was a Gotham District Attorney and he was a man who stood for truth and justice. But he suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder, that means he created an alternate personality that he used to commit crimes, and he would be able to disassociate himself from that persona."

"So you're saying he could create a whole new identity and not know about it?" Gar asked.

"No, he knows about it, the alternate persona of Two-Face is a defense mechanism. It's an alter ego created in order to deal with stress."

"So is he mentally ill?"

"Yes, he has a split personality, and Two-Face, or "Big Bad Harv," as he once called it, is his dominant side."

"So how did he get to have two faces?" Gar asked.

"Rupert Thorne is a well known mob boss here in Gotham," Dick began his story. "He hated Harvey Dent because the man worked tirelessly to bring him to justice. He discovered Harvey's psychological records and his split personality, "Big Bad Harv". Thorne threatened to blackmail him with it unless he left him alone."

"Well as you can tell, Harvey Dent wasn't really happy about that. They confronted each other in the Ace Chemical Plant. Thorne threatened to expose Harvey's secret and when that happened, his darker side, Big Bad Harv came to the fore and they started fighting. One thing led to another and the chemical plant exploded."

"Thorne escaped and Harvey was taken to the hospital. When he awoke, the doctor told him that he wouldn't want to look at his face and that he had scheduled him for plastic surgery. Harvey insisted he see what happened to his face and looked into a mirror. It was then, that he saw his other, darker self revealed. He was Two-Face, and because of his accident, his mind was broken, and he had no sense of right or wrong."

"With this new persona came a new characteristic: he is obsessed with duality. It's a gimmick, his clothing is made from two different fabrics and often his schemes involve the number two. Two traps, two items to steal, that sort of thing."

"I noticed he flipped that coin of his a lot. Does that have something to do with it?"

"Yes, he did, Gar. It's part of his gimick. That coin, well, it was rejected from the Gotham Mint because it was considered defective: It had two heads instead of head and tails like a normal silver dollar. Harvey Dent kept found it when Rupert Thorne dropped it during his escapte from the Ace Chemical Plant. I guess he heard the rumors about Thorne's "Lucky Silver Dollar". Made the claim that it was because of the lucky charm that he discovered Dent's split personality. Dent blaimed the coin for his condition and to reflect that he took a knife and mutiated one of the heads on one side of the coin. He carries it with him wherever he goes, and usses it to make his decisions."

Dick walked over to a table and sat down. Alfred walked into the room carrying some tea. The others gladly took the cups and drank as he continued his story. "Two-Face has no sense of right and wrong, he lets fate decide what he does to you. But, he only uses _that single coin_, and if he loses it, he has no way to make decisions, which is why it's extremely necessary to steal the Silver Dollar from him."

"But you didn't do that, and we still got out okay," Victor observed.

"We were lucky that time, thins might not go so well if we meet again," Dick took a drink of tea. "I'm just glad that we made it out alive." He finished his cup and placed it on the tray. Alfred came and carried it off. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to sleep now."

"But we just got back here You're hitting the sack now?" Gar asked, "you're the one who likes to stay up late!"

"Things are different now, we're not in Jump City," Dick said as he headed upstairs. "Good night, guys. See you tomorrow."He walked upstairs and into the living rooom of Wayne Manor. To his surprise, he saw Bruce sitting in his wheelchair.

Bruce looked up at him from behind a newspaper. "Hello Dick."

"I thought the doctors told you to rest."

"You know I'll never do that."

"I figured, you're stubborn that way. You won't listen to anybody."

"Ha. I see. Dick, I know—you're not ready to talk to me yet, but I do have a favor to ask of you."

"What would that be?" Dick asked warily.

"I'm asking you to go visit Harvey Dent in Arkham Asylum."

Dick's jaw dropped. "No—no, you can't be serious. You want _me_ to go visit _him_? Have you lost your mind?" He stared at Bruce in disbelief as if he had asked him to walk on water. "Have you forgotten what he did—what he _almost_ did to me? He about beat me to death, that's what he did!"

"I know, and I know you've always been afraid of him—"

"—That's and understatement. I'm _traumatized_ by him."

"This is the way you overcome your fears. You can face him in a setting where you know he can't harm you."

"You're telling me," Dick smirked. "Arkham isn't the most secure facility in the world you know."

"Yes, I know, but I believe Harvey Dent is still in there somewhere, we just have to coax him out."

"We? There is no _we_, this is something that _you_ want, not me."

"Don't you want to see Harvey Dent cured?" Bruce asked.

"I've always hoped that would happen, but _without my help_."

"Please, Dick, do this for me. I'm one of the few people who believe he can come back. He still acknowledges Bruce Wayne as a friend, he would be friendly to you and he knows I adopted you."

"Oh joy."

"Will you do this for me? I promise, it'll be worth it."

"I hope you're right. I'll go visit Two-Face tomorrow in the afternoon, and I'm going to need all the sleep I can get," Dick headed off to his room. Bruce watched him, and hoped he would be proven right.

* * *

Dick awoke the next day, rested and refreshed. He walked into the bathroom, took a quick shower and dried himself. He pulled out a suit from the closet and put it on. He when back into the bathroom and took some hair gel from the medacine cabinet. He slicked it trhrough his dark hair and combed it back neatly. He washed his hands and splashed some cold water on his face. It was going to be a long day.

Examining his appearance, he turned and headed out to the kitchen. The others were surprised to see him. Alfred looked up. "Good morning Master Dick, it's nice to see you up, without my help." The others laughed at this and he sat down. He ate some cereal and orange juice and then he prepared to leave.

"Off to another meeting, huh?" Gar asked.

"Yeah, Wayne Industries/Enterprises keeps me busy," Dick siad, grabbing a coat. "I'll see you guys later." He headed out the door and down to the Rolls. He drove down to Wayne Tower and headed inside. Taking the elevator, he headed to the board room for a very long, tedious meeting.

Two-and-a-half hours later he emerged from the room exhausted. He felt drained, and he swore as long as he lived, he would never go to another board meeting again. Sighing, he headed down to the lower levels of Wayne Tower to the Applied Sciences Division.

"Hello Lucius," Dick greeted the elderly CEO of Wayne Industries/Enterprises. The man turned his attention to him.

"Good morning Mr. Grayson," Lucius greeted. "How'd the meeting go? Sorry I wasn't there today, I've been quite busy."

"So I see, what's that you've got there?" Dick asked.

"A new prototype for the Thermal Blaster," Lucius explained. He held up the prototype weapon. "Improved schematics and internal mechanisms have increased the power of the heat ray."

"How much more power?"

"This thing could fry your head off," Lucius told him.

"It's that powerful?" Dick asked. He wondered who had enlisted Wayne Industries/Enterprises for that kind of work. "May I ask who commissioned this project?"

"LexCorp, in Metropolis."

"LexCorp," Dick spat the name out with venom. "Lex Luthor's company."

"Well he _is _the President of the United States, Dick."

"I know, I know. I wasn't old enough to vote back then, even if I was, I wouldn't have voted for him."

"I didn't either, selfish, stuck up bureaucrat, but he won. Superman's archenemies is letting this country rot while he schemes to get rid of him."

"You know about that, Lucius?"

"Dick, _everyone_ knows about Lex Luthor's obsession with killing Superman."

"I see. And you said yes to his commission to manufacture these Thermal Blasters?"

"What choice did I have, Dick? I protested but the other board members overruled me. They said it was a great business opportunity. Business opportunity, my shoes; just gonna cause more problems I suppose."

"Why didn't they tell me about this?"

"This decision was made before you arrived, right after Bruce was attacked by Bane. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"That's alright. It's too late to stop the big machine now." Dick turned toward the elevator. "If there's anything I can help you with, let me know."

"I will."

Suddenly, the Batwave activated and he pulled it from his back pocket. "Hmm...Problem at the bank." His Communicator activated and he answered it.

"Dick, this is Captain Yin. The Penguin and the Kabuki Twins are holding up the Gotham First Federal Bank. We've closed off the building but he's threatening to kill if we don't let him leave."

"We're on our way," Dick answered. He shut off the Communicator. "Well I guess I have some business to take care of. I'll leave you to your work, Lucius."

"Knock 'em dead, Dick," Lucius laughed. Dick stared at him and chuckled quietly at the joke. He headed over to a bookshelf and pushed a button hidden behind one of the books. A concealed door swung itself around and he found his Kevlar suit in a closet. He quickly put it on, strapping his utility belt around his waist and making sure his grapple gun was nearby.

He pulled out a remote control and pushed the button. He walked quickly passed Lucius and took the elevator down to the garage floor. He watched as the Batmobile came screaming towards him. He pulled the car to a terrific stop and opened the cockpit. He jumped into the car and headed for the Gotham First Federal Bank.

He sprang out, quickly sprinting over to his friends. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Penguin's inside, holding everyone hostage," Captain Ellen Yin explained. "We've tried to reason with him but it's no use. Perhaps you could pursuade him to come out."

"The only form of pursuasion he'll see is that of my fist hitting his face. Talk is useless when it comes to criminals who are like him."

"The Penguin and his Twins of Kabuki are inside the bank?" Starfire asked.

"Yes," Batman replied.

"They are not going to get away, I have some, as people on Earth say, "scores to settle," with those twins of Kabuki."

"So how are we going to get in?" Beast Boy asked.

"We could try from the roof," Cyborg suggested.

"No way, after my experience with the vents last night, not gonna happen," Beast Boy protested.

"Raven could teleport us in." Batman said.

"We've been doing that a lot lately."

"Best eliment of surprise so far," Cyborg said.

"Raven, take us in!" he ordered.

Raven surrounded them with her powers and with a loud _woosh,_ they vanished into the building. Inside, the Penguin was emptying numerous quantities of cash into a large sack. His Kabuki Twins were guarding the bystanders, ready to rip them to shreds if they tried to escape. The Titans appeared and immediately charged into the Twins before they knew what hit them.

Starfire knocked one of them across the room, her righteous fury coursing through her veins. She had not forgotten the wounds and the suffering she had endured at the hands of these two criminals. She had been in the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic for a few days because of them, and she wasn't going to let that happen to anyone else.

Starfire smashed her fist inot her opponent's midsection, the force knocked the wind out of her. The Twin gasped as she parried with a viscous strike, but Starfire was ready for that she threw herself back away from the sharp blades as the other ran to assist her partner. Together, the Kabuki Twins grabbed her by her arms and held her back as the others descended on the Penguin.

"I am sorry to disappoint you, but I am stronger than I look!" Starfire said coldly as she used her alien strength to send her enemies flying across the room. They smashed into a wall and rubble fell on them as Starfire flew over and revved up her Starbolts. She hurled them at the Kabuki Twins as they nimbly dodged out of the way, avoiding them.

As one twin slashed at her she grabbed her by the wrist and twisted it back as hard as she could, she heard a bone snap as she watched the criminal scream in pain. She forced her opponent's hand behind her back and delivered a hard kick to the small of her spine. The twin fell forward and hit the ground unconscous. Cyborg ran over to assist her, firing his Sonic Cannon. The laser fire startled the second twin and she flew back from impact. He brought his fist into her face and she slashed at his titanium body. The blades did superficial damage and did very little in acutal psyical harm. He punched and kicked furiously, leaping high into the air, he brought himself smashing down on top of her and slammed her into the floor. He aimed his weapon at her, and knowing she was trapped, didn't move a muscle.

Batman fought Penguin furiously. "I see your little girlfriend is better now. Wonder how she recoverd so fast?"

Raven used her powers to throw a chair at him, he leapt high over it and kicked Batman. He somersaulted backward and avoided it. He blocked Penguin's blows and tried to gian the advantage. Beast Boy charged into him as a rhino and knocked him off his feet. Raven evaded a punch and smashed her elbow into the back of his head. Penguin felt lightheaded but somehow managed to return blow for blow Raven's attacks.

Suddenly, Azrael dropped through the ceiling and landed in front of him, sword drawn. Penguin grabbed his umbrella and fired a series of bullets at the armored vigilante. He skillfully avoided them and kicked Penguin viscously in the gut. He staggered back as Batman executed a quick spin kick that struck him in the face. Raven used her powers to pick him up and threw him straight into Beast Boy in Gorilla form who grabbed him and slammed him into the ground, sending his umbrella flying.

Batman kicked the umbrella away as Penguin desperately reached for it. Azrael pointed his flaming sword at his throat and he immediately froze. "Sorry Penguin, you're heading back to the Gotham Penitentiary where you belong."

The Penguin glared at him but said no words as the police rushed in and handcuffed him.

"What are you doing here, Azreal?" Batman asked.

"I came to help, it looked like you needed it."

"I see. I must be going."

"Going? Going where?"

"I have an appointment to keep. Azrael, could you take my place on patrol, I have some business to take care of."

"I take it you're not still mad?" the armored vigilante asked.

"I may not be angry, but that doesn't mean that I trust you," Batman said, walking away."

"At least your disposition's better than last time."

"Inded, now if you'll excuse me," Batman said, firing his grapple gun into the hole in the ceiling, "I have to get going." Azrael and the Titans watched him leave wondering what in the world he had to go do now.

* * *

Dick Grayson shifted uneasily as he walked into Arkham Asylum. He frankly, had no idea why he was there. No person in their right mind willingly stepped into the halls of Gotham's notorious Hell house for the insane. Only the corrupt or the crazed resided there, mainly its occupants shared equal doses of both traits.

Dick Grayson; dressed in a three-piece suit and tie felt nervous as he walked with the guard down the long, vacant hallway. He was going to visit Harvey Dent; why he was doing this, he had no idea. It was bad enough that he was afraid of the man, that fear he had always pushed down into the darkest places of his soul.

He took a deep breath, and inhaled his fear, releasing it as he exhaled. He felt a little better as he followed his escort to Harvey Dent's cell. He walked into the room and noticed Harvey Dent sitting calmly behind a table wearing a prison uniform and a pair of handcuffs. Dick calmed his nerves and sat down across from the deranged criminal mastermind.

"Hello Mr. Dent," he greeted him formally, not knowing where to begin.

"Now Grayson, you're not my lawyer, call me Two-Face," Two-Face snapped. He could tell this was Big Bad Harv in control. Maybe if he gained his trust, perhaps he could coax Harvey Dent out from inside of Two-Face.

"How do they treat you here, Two-Face?" Dick asked.

"Not that good Grayson, it's torture here. If you thought we were insane when we came in here…well we're a lot worse when we come out."

"Worse, what do you mean by worse?"

"You don't know what they do to us."

"What exactly do they _do _to you here?" he asked.

"Experimental drugs, psychological 'therapy', anything close to physical torture. The guards beat us if we act up, unless we riot, then they run. Verbal abuse galore, you know the drill."

"Why didn't you tell someone in authority? Why keep silent?"

"Who's gonna believe me, Grayson? I'm one of the bad guys, with my reputation why should anyone listen to me?"

"But can't there be a way to stop this?"

"No, if the guards don't near kill ya, the inmates will. Victor Zsasz slit some crazed wife killer's throat with a hommade shank becauase he butted in the food line."

"No one said anything?"

"What do you expect kid, we're the bad people here."

"But that could have been you instead of him."

"Yeah, well I'm not that stupid, at least I know when to stay out of people's way."

"I see. Is there anything I can do for you Two-Face?"

"Why should you care, boy. What would I possibly want from you?" Two-Face rested his face in his hands. "No, no, you wouldn't want to help me find…Nah, just a stupid thought, that's all."

"What? What is it, Two-Face?"

"Call me Harvey, please," Harvey interupted.

"Harvey, what were you going to say?" Dick asked.

"I was wondering…if you helped me, would that mean I could get my wife back?"

"I don't follow you Harvey."

"You know how badly they treat us here, but if I really _try _to get help, do you think it'll work?"

"There's always hope, Harvey, Bruce hasn't given up on you."

"What about you, you talk about Bruce is not giving up on me, have you?"

"I really don't know, Harvey, I'm not sure what to think. I believe that…there is still hope for you, as much as the outward circumstances say otherwise." Something inside Dick told him that Harvey Dent was truly sincere. He really did want to get out, and stay out of Arkham Asylum. He wanted a happy, normal life again. Harvey was trying to fight his dominant personality of Two-Face after all. Dick had believed, as many did, that Two-Face had complete control over the dormant personality of Harvey Dent.

"I _knew_ you were like Bruce Wayne. If I make an honest attempt at getting cure will you help me?"

"I'll do what I can." He stared at his watch. Visiting hours were almost over.

"I guess it's time for you go go, Dick."

"Good-bye Harvey, I'll come back when I can," Dick Grayson said as the guard entered.

"I just want to know one thing, Dick," Harvey Dent stared at him, his disfigured right eye lulled over to one side. "Why come visit me? I'm not exactly respectable anymore."

"Everyone deserves a second chance Mr. Dent, even you. I can pull some strings. I know a very skilled plastic surgeon who could fix your face," inwardly, Dick was thinking, _why am I saying all this?_

"I don't know kid, what's it gonna do? Two-Face can't just go away if his face is fixed," Harvey sighed.

"I know. That's why I'm going to find you the best therapists to help you sort through all this, and help you gain back what you lost."

"Grayson, why are you doing this for me? Is there some favor you want from me? Nobody ever does things for me without a catch. What is it that you want?"

"I'm doing something that Bruce wanted…and something that I want. We could have been friends, if things had been different. I didn't know you that well, but Bruce did and said you two were very close."

"That's true, kid. He hasn't given up on me. Even after all these years…"

"I'd better let you go, Mr. Dent. I have some business to attend to," Dick got up from his seat. He turned to leave. The thought hit him for a moment, that Harvey had called him Dick and not Grayson. There might be hope for Harvey Dent after all.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

Dick Grayson made his way out into a dark alley in the Narrows a few blocks away from Arkham Asylum. He slipped his suit off, revealing his Batman uniform and slipped the cowl over his head. He pushed a button on the remote and activated the Batmobile. He climbed in and drove away. He noticed the Batwave was active and looked to see where the signal was coming from.

He picked up his Communicator and dialed the Titans. "What's going on?" he asked. "Any sign of Bane?"

"No, but we did have a lead, someone reported to the police that they saw him at Robinson Park," Cyborg replied.

"He's probably long gone now. No doubt he left after word got out that he was wanted by me as well as the Gotham PD."

"Azrael says he wants to help us find him."

"Good. Strength in numbers, have you called Batgirl and Robin?"

"No, not yet."

"I'm going to stop by the library, see if I can get a hold of a recent map of Gotham City."

"Okay, what do you want us to do? I was thinking about canvassing the city, and splitting up into teams to search for Bane."

"Good thinking, Cyborg, you go and do that. I'll rejoin you when I can."

"Okay," Cyborg signed off. Batman made his way to the Gotham Public Library and ducked inside. He slipped by unwary readers browsing through shelves of old books. He headed towards the back where he knew a certain redheaded librarian was working.

"Babs, you busy?" he whispered. She jumped in surprise and whirled around to face him.

"Don't scare me like that! You almost gave me a heart attack!" she hissed at him.

"Sorry, couldn't help it."

"What are you doing here?" Barbara asked.

"Since when did the gymnist who was an Olympic hopeful become a librarian?"

"The Olympic hopeful became a librarian since the Olympics are a few years away. Can I do something for you, Bats?"

"I'm looking for a recent map of Gotham. I need it to help me search for Bane."

"I see. So where are your friends?"

"Out canvassing the city for Bane," he replied. "I'm going to join them as soon as I get a hold of this map."

"Okay, let me go take a look," Babs ran off to search the archives for a recent map of Gotham.

She walked back carrying a bundle of larch rolled up maps. "So what do you need? Blue prints or the plans for the utility construction?"

"Both. Is there a way to check this out?"

"I don't think it's allowed…but I think that I could make you copies," she said, making her way towards the copier. She began running the plans through the machine. Soon, they were ready and she handed it to him.

"Do you think that will help?" she asked.

"Sure will," Batman replied.

"I'll join you as soon as I get off work," she added.

"Good, I can use all the help I can get."

"Are you sure you can do this Babs?" Batman asked gently, "Ever since your experience with the Joker, I've been worried about you."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine," she gave him a warm smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, you better go on, your Communicator's activated."

He ducked out the back door and leapt into the Batmobile. "Titans, what's the situation?"

"Still no sign of Bane, but we do have another problem."

"What's that?"

"Downtown's mysteriously flooded, and it's not raining."

"Are you there now?" Batman asked.

"Yes."

"Do you see anything?"

"Not yet—Wait! I saw something, down in the water."

"Do you know what it was?"

"Looked like an alligator."

"Killer Croc," Batman muttered.

"He's an escapee from Arkham, right?"

"Yes, and be careful he's smarter than he looks."

"I'll keep that in mind," Cyborg signed off and stared out a cross the flooded square. He used his visual scanner to search for Killer Croc. He peered into the dark, murky waters. He frowned, and stared over the landscape.

He watched as the Batmobile pulled up and parked at a curb. Batman stepped out and strode over to the Titans. "Any luck finding Croc?"

"No," Cyborg replied. "I saw him once, but he disappeared.

"No, he hasn't, we just have to sit back and wait." Batman began scanning the area with his optic cable. "I knew it. He's swimming into the Gotham First Federal bank."

"They really like that place don't they?" Beast Boy quipped.

"This is not the time for jokes, Beast Boy!" Batman looked over at the others. "We need to get over to the bank."

Batman pushed a button on his utility belt and watched as a boat pulled up to one of the docks. Cyborg whistled as they ran over to it. "I must admit Bats, you got some nice toys."

"Thanks, now get in."

"Why are we taking a boat across?" Raven asked. "He'll spot us for sure!"

"He'll spot _you_, which is what I want. I don't want him to suspect I'm coming."

They began making their way towards the bank in the boat. Batman pulled out his grapple gun and aimed for the roof. He latched it onto a ledge and shot across the water. He hoisted himself up and quietly peered down at Killer Croc, who began sniffing, sensing his presence. He scooted back out of sight as the supervillain looked up at the glass skylight. Shaking his head, he turned back to the gigantic money vault and continued putting stacks of bills into a large sack.

"Hurry up, Croc, we don't have all day," a voice said impatiently.

"I'm going as fast as I can _Eddie_, I've only got two hands, you know!"

"Fine, _Waylon, _just keep moving. We don't have much time."

"The Riddler?" Batman muttered. "Why would he be working with Killer Croc? He likes to work alone." Batman continued to watch, waiting for the Titans to storm into the room and create a diversion for him to take down Croc.

The front doors trembled and shook as Cyborg slammed into them with his large mechanical body. The wooden frame shattered as he and the others burst into the room, weapons drawn and at the ready. "Croc—and the Riddler?" Cyborg asked in surprise, he recovered quickly. "Step away from the money now!"

"And what makes you think I'm gonna listen to a bunch of pipsqueaks like you?" Killer Croc growled fiercely. "I'm not interested in a fight, I just want some cold, hard cash from my bank account."

"Yeah," Beast Boy smirked. "Your imaginary bank account. Does that count for your intelligence too?"

"Don't go messing with Killer Croc, kid. I have a nasty bite."

"Can't be anything special."

"Well Green Kid, let's see what you've got!" Killer Croc assumed an aggressive stance and was ready for a fight. Beast Boy held his confident smile and morphed into an alligator.

"Ooh, he _is_ clever."

"Only about as much as you are," Raven smirked.

Killer Croc charged forward and Beast Boy moved to engage him. Beast Boy staggered back, still in alligator form and swung himself around, his leathery tail connected with Killer Croc's face and he barely raised his hand to block it.

Much to Croc's shock, Beast Boy transformed into a kangaroo and slammed his tail into Boy snapped at Croc, barely missing with his razor sharp teeth. Killer Croc avoided the attack and smashed his fist into the green changeling's midsection, his head. He landed on his feet and morphed into a tiger, biting and slashing the supervillain.

Croc slammed his fist into Beast Boy, sending him flying across the room and into one of the vaults. Beast Boy regained his footing and charged back, morphing into a rhino, rammed into Killer Croc like a freight train. Waylon Jones felt the impact as he smashed back into the wall, leaving a huge crater in the concrete structure. Waylon Jones suddenly leaped forward and kicked Beast Boy as he tried to climb to his feet. He morphed into a boa constrictor and looked himself around the villain's torso.

Meanwhile, the Riddler twirled his Question Cane and charged the Batman. He struck viscously with the metallic staff and Batman barely avoided the flaming, green rod. He somersaulted back and executed a quick kick aimed at Riddler's stomach. The Riddler jumped back, dodging the blow as he swung his Cane around, smashing Batman in the face. Startled, Batman stumbled, this foe prepared to bring the Cane smashing down on his head when suddenly Cyborg wrenched a pipe from the wall and blocked the blow.

Riddler and Cyborg remained locked in combat, neither refusing to back down, there was no give in Riddler, no backing down with Cyborg. Cyborg hauled back and struck as hard as he could. Riddler managed to block and strike back. Cyborg brought his knee up and slammed it into Riddler as he gasped and punched out hard, jarring the robotic Titan's sensors, he shook his head trying to get himself back together.

Raven summoned her powers and picked up a table. She brought it looming over the Riddler's head and let it drop on him. He looked up in time and brought his Cane slicing through it. The table split in two and crashed to the floor.

Starfire rushed forward and slammed into Riddler, knocking him off his feet. She unleashed her eye lasers, burning the villain with flaming green energy. Batman leaped up and removed a Bat-a-Rang from his utility belt. He hurled it at the Riddler and watched as it knocked the Question Cane from his hands. He dove for the weapon as Cyborg moved to stop him. Riddler grasped the Cane and unleashed a stream of green laser fire at the Titan.

Cyborg reeled back and managed to hold his ground and retaliated with his Sonic Cannon. Blue met green as both fighters tried to outdo one another. The lasers ricocheted off the walls and the rest of the team dove for cover to avoid the beams.

Raven shot out a stream of dark energy, blasting the Riddler off his feet. Starfire summoned a gigantic ball of green energy to her, stretching out her hands to encompass the mass of green light. Edward Nygma stared in shock and awe as she hurled the green ball of fire straight at his head. He flew back into the wall, completely dazed as Batman charged forward, executing a flying kick; he knocked the Riddler unconscious.

Beast Boy and Killer Croc were trying their best to win against each other. Beast Boy transformed into a gorilla and grabbed Killer Croc by the scruff of his neck and slammed him into the floor. Killer Croc used his large tail to sweep the green changeling's legs out from under him, tripping he fell to the floor. Dirty sewer water filled his mouth and he spat it out quickly as the amphibious villain clamped his jaws around Beast Boy's torso and pulled him under.

"B.B., hold on, man!" Cyborg said as he saw his friend go under. He began firing his Sonic Cannon into the water, hoping he would hit something. He knew it probably would ruing his circuits, but he dove down into the two feet deep water and began feeling for any sign of his friend. Raven used her powers to part the waters like Moses at the Red Sea and Killer Croc, was lying down at the bottom of the floor, his jaws clammed around a squirming green octopus.

Killer Croc's eyes snapped wide open just as Cyborg grabbed a pipe and brought hit smashing down on his head. The villain slipped into black oblivion as Beast Boy pried his mouth off his body.

"That was one of the grossest things I've ever experienced," he laughed.

"How can you laugh like that?" Cyborg demanded. "You about died on us! Are you okay?"

"Is a ten pound robin fat? Of course I'm okay! Just chill, dude, I was okay down there. I was beating him with my tentacles while you all were trying to find me. I was fine."

"Don't scare us like that again, okay?"

"Like I said, I was just fine."

Cyborg and Beast Boy walked over to the Batman as he interrogated the Riddler about the location of Bane. "Come on, talk! Where is he?"

"Do I look like I know where Bane is?" Riddler asked. "And even if I did, why would I tell? There's nothing in it for me. And who's to say I _know _where he is?"

"Stop talking in riddles!" Batman roared. "Tell me where Bane is!"

"Batman, we do not even know if he saw Bane when he escaped," Starfire said quietly.

"I know he saw Bane. He was in Arkham Asylum with the Joker. We sent him there after we caught him trying to break in to City Hall's computers."

"Does that mean anything?" the Riddler asked.

"Yes, it means you know where Bane might be."

"How could I tell you something I don't know?" Nygma asked.

"What makes you think I'll believe you? How do I know you're not lying?" Batman asked.

"You'll have to trust me," the Riddler said calmly. "I don't know where Bane is."

"Very well," Batman said. "I'm sending you back to Arkham."

Edward Nygma said nothing as the police arrived and put him in cuffs. They also grabbed Killer Croc and placed him in an Police transport. Captain Yin walked over to the group of superheroes after most of squad cars drove off. "We haven't seen any sign of Bane anywhere, but I'll let you know if something turns up."

"Thank you, Captain," Batman said. "Have you contacted Azrael?"

"No, no word from him at all. Is he searching for Bane?"

"I assume so, he said he wanted to help," Batman frowned. "You haven't seen him?"

"No, but I'll inform you if I do," Captain Yin replied. "The Commish sends his regards. He's picking up Barbara from the library."

"At least the man has his priorities straight," Batman laughed.

"Yes, especially since we know of his daughter's nightly activities."

"We? As in the police?"

"No, just the two of us."

"I have to go now."

"Thank you for your help, Captain, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Captain Yin climbed into her car and drove off.

Batman turned with a flap of his cape and began moving toward the Batmobile. "Titans, spread out, split up into pairs of twos and canvas the city for Bane. Batgirl and Robin will join you shortly. I'll let you know if I find anything."

Cyborg began patrolling the streets and Beast Boy took to the sky as a large green eagle. Starfire and Raven scanned the city from a lower altitude, searching for any sign of the elusive mercenary.

Beast Boy landed on the street and morphed into a bloodhound. He began sniffing around, zigzagging through the narrow streets as he made his way through the city. Hr felt as if he were running around in circles. He hadn't found a single clue and he felt that if he didn't get a new lead soon he was going to go crazy.

He changed back into his human form, and picked up his Communicator. "Dude, I've gone all over the City and I haven't seen one glimpse of Bane. Can we all have a break? I'm going to drop."

"Let me check with the others," Batman replied. He contacted Cyborg, Raven and Starfire. "Have you found anything?"

"No, I have not;" Starfire replied. "The Bane has not resurfaced. Raven and I have not found anything amiss."

"Alright," Batman said in an exhausted voice. "I suppose we'll search again tomorrow. I'll finish my rounds and then we'll go home."

"I'll be on my last round," Batman said as he finished speaking. He shut off the Communicator and turned the street corner. He was beginning to wonder if this was turning into a wild goose chase. He began scanning the area, never knowing when his enemy might be found. He would bring Bane to justice. He promised Bruce he would, and that as a promise he intended to keep.

* * *

Azrael finished his extensive search of the east side of Gotham, looking in alleyways and abandoned buildings. There was still no sign of Bane there.

Azrael moved into Crime Alley, unsheathing his sword. He assumed an aggressive stance, prepared to attack. He moved softly through the street, looking around at the homeless sitting on the side of the street. Some of them were looking for a handout; some were looking for an opportunity to take advantage of the innocent. Many shrunk away from him as he passed by.

Suddenly, a figured tackled him to the floor. He looked up in time to see Bane reaching for his throat. He barely managed to throw him off as he jumped to his feet, grabbing his sword. Bane smashed his fist into Azrael's face as He kicked him viciously. Azrael blocked the blow and slashed at him with his sword. He grabbed a cell phone and hit the speed dial button. The number dialed 9-11 and the police dispatcher responded.

"Hello, this is the Gotham City Police. What is your emergency?"

"Get a hold of Commissioner Gordon or Captain Yin!" Azrael shouted. "The mercenary Bane is in Crime Alley!"

"Where is the mercenary Bane?" the dispatcher asked. Azrael thought that the man must have been dense if he hadn't understood him the first time. "He's in Crime Alley."

"I'll send your message to Commissioner Gordon as soon as possible. Could you please hold on the line and—" Azrael hung up. He didn't have time to deal with the police and their politics. He continued grappling with Bane; he hoped that his message would get through to Batman and the others on time.

"Commissioner, we have a sighting of Bane," the dispatcher sad as the Commissioner walked into the room.

"Good, Captain Yin, tell Batman the good news."

"I'll call him, Commish," Captain Yin pulled out the Batwave and punched it. She hoped they would be able bring in Bane; then they could all rest peacefully with a huge weight lifted off their shoulders.

Azrael tackled Bane to the ground as the homeless scattered away, trying to avoid the two combatants. He slashed at the mercenary with his gauntlets but Bane blocked his blows. Bane slammed his head into Azrael, stunning him. He picked him up by his neck and hurled him across the street, sending the armored vigilante across the street into a light post.

Azrael felt pain shoot through him as Bane's fist connected with his face. He felt his teeth rattle as he coughed up blood and spit it out.

"No one can defeat Bane. Not even the Angel of Death, Azrael!" Bane picked him up and held him high above his head. Azrael felt that he would be split in two at any second. He desperately hoped that the police would contact Batman. If they didn't, he was going to end up in the hospital like Bruce Wayne.

He looked up as he saw a familiar vehicle pull into Crime Alley. He saw the Teen Titans pull the T Car up on the other side of the alleyway, blocking Bane's way if he should try to escape. He looked over as Batman leaped out of the Batmobile. He saw Robin and Batgirl jump off their motorcycles and join him. They had come at last! He hoped they would all come out of this alive….

* * *

The Batwave suddenly came to life as Dick turned the corner near the Time Out Café. He pushed the button and responded, "Batman here."

"Good news Batman. Azrael found Bane, he's in Crime Alley."

"I'm on my way," Batman replied. "I'm going to summon the Titans as well." He punched in the code for their Communicators.

"Titans, Bane has been found. I'm sending you the coordinates where he is. He's in Crime Alley, meet me there, I'm going to try to cut Bane off before he can escape from Azrael."

"We're on our way," Cyborg said.

"And make sure, Batgirl and Robin come with you. We're going to need all the help we can get."

He ended the communication and quickly pushed a button on his utility belt, summoning the Batbot. He was going to need the giant piece of machinery to battle the Venom powered mercenary. He hoped that it would be enough.

He careened around the corner, speeding by streaming traffic. He pushed the pedal down to the floor and made his way across the city toward the northwest side of Gotham to Crime Alley. He was joined on the highway by the rest of the Titans; he noticed that Robin and Batgirl were on motorcycles. The seven vigilantes sped through the streets to Crime Alley.

"Titans, go around to the other side of Crime Alley. Block Bane's path so he can't get out." The two groups split up and The Titans took the back roads into the notorious known street. It was in that very alley that a mugger had murdered Bruce Wayne's parents.

Batman saw people scattering out of Crime Alley as they fled in panic. Bane was fighting Azrael with everything he had. Dick watched as Bane picked up Azrael and threw him into the wall, leaving a huge hole in the side of a building as Azrael unsheathed his flaming gauntlets, ready for a fight.

Batman watched as Bane picked up Azrael and held him above his head. He knew what was going to happen. He was going to break Azrael's back just like he broke Bruce's. Dick didn't want to see that happen to anyone else. He knew how Bruce had suffered, and even if he didn't completely trust the vigilante, he wasn't going to let Bane break someone else if he could help it.

Tires squealed as they pulled to a stop on both sides of Crime Alley. Batman pulled the Batmobile to a stop and leaped out. His cape fluttered in the wind as he landed, gliding softly to the ground. "It's over Bane! Justice has found you at last. A trial and a long prison sentence to Arkham Asylum await you."

"And an early grave awaits you, Batman," Bane powered up his Venom steroid. His muscles ripped and bulged as he grew in size. He now had double the strength had when he fought Azrael and soon towered over the Batman, Batgirl, Robin and the Titans.

"This is your end now…prepare to meet your doom!" he bellowed as he charged forward. Batman knew that this would likely be his last stand. He moved his hand to his utility belt, grasping two Bat-a-Rangs, he prepared to attack. The Titans stood at his side, ready to fight. This was Bane's day of reckoning, and everything had led up to this moment, this was going to be Dick Grayson's revenge for what had happened to Bruce, he had promised himself he would defeat Bane, and that was a promise he intended to keep…


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

Bane stared at Dick for a moment, taking in the sight of his opponent. Bane was no dummy; he had enough cunning and intelligence to make him a worthy adversary. He also had been clever enough to deduce Batman's true identity as Bruce Wayne. He wasn't one to take lightly. Dick hoped his return to Gotham City, as the new Batman would throw Bane's confidence in the fact that _he_ knew who the Batman was.

Dick could feel the villain's penetrating gaze, scrutinizing him. He wondered what he would do next and if he had called Batman's bluff. The thing was, Batman never bluffed.

Bane began to laugh, "A clever trick, Dick Grayson, you almost fooled me into thinking _you_ were the Batman."

"Who says I'm Dick Grayson?" Batman demanded.

"Bruce Wayne still lies in a hospital bed, who would take his place besides his ward?"

"I say you're bluffing Bane, you know nothing about me."

"Fool. I am not one to bluff!" Bane roared.

"Neither am I!" Batman removed two Bat-a-Rangs from his utility belt and prepared to strike.

Bane sprinted forward smashing his fist into the wall just as Batman ducked, saving his face from being crushed by the mercenary's fist. He somersaulted over Bane and struck, smashing his fist into Bane as he blocked the blow, grabbing Batman's fist and throwing him across the street. Batman managed to land on his feet and sprinted back as Bane ran over and smashed a wide blow into his midsection.

Bane suddenly felt burning heat of Starbolts collide with his back and he whirled around to face her. She suddenly barreled into him like a missile, he stumbled and swung his enormous fist, making contact with her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her back into the wall on the other side of the street. Beast Boy transformed into a T-Rex, roaring loudly, he stomped forward.

Bane dodged kicked Beast Boy hard as the green changeling tried to attack, the blow dazed him for a moment as he suddenly swung around and struck the Venom powered villain with his tail. The mercenary flew back and hit the wall as Cyborg leapt high and landed in the fray.

"Come on, big man, show me what you've got! Show me what you've got!" he said, raining blow after blow upon Bane. Bane blocked with his elbow and grabbed Cyborg by his arm. Cyborg slammed his head into Bane; he looked up as the villain stared down at him completely unfazed by the blow. Cyborg pushed against Bane, trying to find the advantage. Both refused to give in as they tried to overpower each other. Bane suddenly grabbed Cyborg's arm with both hands, and swinging him around over his head, he hurled him away into a fallen Beast Boy.

Bane looked up to see Raven's enormous form towering over him. She saw his eyes go wide for a moment as the parted her cloak and Batman rushed out from inside it. He charged forward, smashing his fist into Bane's face as he struck his enemy with deadly blows that would maim or paralyze ordinary men. The viscous mercenary blocked blows with trained precision and grabbing Batman by his cape, swung him around his shoulders and hurled him into a wall.

Batman smashed into the wall and landed on his feet, removing his cloak, he quickly gathered up some loose debris and wrapped the cloth around it as if it were a pouch. Springing forward, he lashed out, striking Bane with the load of bricks, concentrated, precise hits that met their mark. Bane grunted in pain and staggered back.

_Crunch! Smash! Whump! _Batman heard the impact of the crushed bricks as he struck a wide, sweeping blow left-to-right across Bane's face. He brought the load of bricks smashing back again; crushing Bane's nose as he let go of one end sending crushed rocks flying into his opponent's eyes. Bane brushed the debris away as Batman leapt back to avoid a blow. Bane ran forward and leapt high, preparing to smash Batman with a flying kick, which looked rather odd, considering the fact that Bane was rather bulky.

Bane looked to his right in time to see the Batbot slam into him. Batman managed to catch a glimpse of Tim Drake in the pilot's seat. _Good work, this should keep him busy for now. _The Batbot kicked and punched Bane as he locked hands with him. Bane pressed down on the Batbot as Tim wrestled with the throttles controlling the robot's movements. He strained beneath the protective glass, attempting to turn the tide in their last stand, this last fight to bring Bane down from his high perch in the criminal underworld.

Bane suddenly pushed down on the Batbot with inhuman strength and Robin felt pain surge through his body as he was slammed into the ground. Bane raised his fist to flatten the Batbot's cockpit into a flat tin can. Starfire rose up and sent a stream of Starbolts shooting into the back of his head, causing Bane to scream in agony.

He whirled around to face Starfire as she shot toward him like a rocket, knocking him off his feet and sending him sprawling into the middle of the road. She ran forward, leaping up, she came smashing down on his midsection feet first and launched a stream of Starbolts into his face.

He blindly reached out and grabbed her wrist and prepared to send her flying backward. Starfire's eyes glowed a fiery emerald green as she suddenly lifted him off the ground and flung him behind her back. Keeping a firm grip on his arm, she grabbed him and swung him into the concrete, leaving an enormous crater in the spot where he lay.

She rose into the air and swinging Bane around in a circle, she sent him flying into the corner of a nearby building, smashing out bricks and windows as he hit the ground. Raven moved her hand and used her power to wrench a light post from the cement sidewalk.

Raven used her powers to send the twisted metal hurtling at Bane's monstrous form as he climbed to his feet. Raven grasped him in her aura and sent him flying across the street. Cyborg activated his Sonic Cannon and sent a stream of laser fire straight at Bane.

Batman charged forward, leaping feet first, he slammed into Bane, using his grappling hook to swing across the street. He swung around 180 degrees and brought himself around to smash into Bane from behind. He somersaulted backward and landed on his feet. He removed a pair of flash/bang grenades from his utility belt and threw it straight into Bane's eyes.

The mercenary howled in surprise and rage as he swatted blindly at the bright light. He shook his head, swinging his fist at Batman with reckless abandon. He quick uppercut and a hefty kick sent Batman flying through the air.

He managed to grab a pole and swing around as Bane attacked him. Batman's feet landed a solid blow into Bane's stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Batgirl revved up the Bat Cycle and pushing the accelerator, she drove toward Bane as fast she could push the gas. The vehicle headed for him as he turned around to face it. He raised his fist and prepared to crack Batgirl's skull in two. At the last second she raised her grapple gun and fired it into a nearby building and swung off the cycle, leaving it empty.

The empty motorcycle crashed into Bane, bursting into flames as he howled in pain, twitching, he glared up furiously at her as she somersaulted down and landed safely on the other end of the alley.

"Dude! She ran over him with a motorcycle and he didn't even get a scratch!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

Bane cracked his neck and looked at them. "It will take much more than that to defeat Bane!" he said in a low, ominous tone. He narrowed his eyes and hurtled himself at Batman. He ran forward and punched at Batman with a lightening quick blow, Azrael managed to step forward and used his sword to block the blow as Bane's momentum plowed into him like a freight train.

Batman watched as Bane blocked Azrael's slashing blows as the mercenary grabbed Azrael's skull and head butted him. Gripping the vigilante's arm, he flung him aside like piece of trash and stepped forward. Stooping down, he grasped Azrael's sword and brandished it.

Batman stepped back and removed a retractable sword from his utility belt. He pushed a button and activated it. He rushed at Bane, swinging high and bringing the blade slashing down on Bane's sword. The sound of steel rang through the streets as the two combatants began their epic duel.

Batman slashed down and hacked at Bane's blade, the mercenary glared at him through slits for eyes. He glowered at him through dark pupils. The hate on his face dark and foul, smeared with evil and darkness. A feeling that would only be sated with the demise of the Batman.

Swords clashed again, Bane thrust his weapon, striking hard to the left. Batman managed to block his blows. He brought the blade up in an arc and attacked with a quick uppercut, Bane then slashed again, bringing his weapon sweeping straight across, nearly hacking off his opponent's head. Batman used his gauntlet to block the sharp edge, entangling the sword, forcing his opponent to remain entwined with him.

Batman shoved him back, knocking Bane to the ground and sending the sword flying from his hands. Bane leaped to his feet, knocking him off his feet. Starfire ran forward, smashing her fist into his face. She brought her feet up and somersaulted backwards, delivering a smashing kick in Bane's face.

Bane roared in agony and lurched backwards. Robin had climbed out of the Batbot and unsheathed his Bo Staff. Twirling it, he looked at the mercenary. "It's over, Bane!"

"Foolish little boy," Bane sneered. "You cannot defeat Bane!" He brought his fist together and brought them smashing down on the asphalt, leaving a large crack in the concrete. Robin jumped back, dodging the hole in the road and charged forward. He brought his Bo Staff crashing down on Bane's midsection.

Batman pushed himself up from his knees and rose to his feet, he crept toward the Batbot and opened the cockpit. He hoisted himself up inside and grasped the controls. He shut the cockpit door and activated the robot. The lights on the panel flickered to life as he placed his hands on the controls that manipulated the Batbot's arms.

The Batbot suddenly lurched up from the ground, rising to its feet. The Titans looked over as the gigantic robot moved slowly toward Bane. The mercenary looked up at the titanic weapon. Smirking, he cracked his knuckles and smiled cockily. "Not even a machine can stop the mighty Bane!"

Batman moved the Batbot from a slow walked into a fast run as Bane moved to engage him. Blow for blow, kick for kick, there was no giving in Batman, no yielding in Bane. The mercenary grabbed the robot buy its wrist and threw it back into a wall. The machine smashed into the building, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.

Cyborg stepped forward and fired up the heat seeking missiles on his shoulders. "Hey tough guy, let's see how you handle this!" He pushed a button and fired the deadly artillery. The sound of the impact shook the buildings and shattered windows as Bane was knocked off his feet.

Batman managed to step back as the missiles found their intended target. Bane fell to his knees, placing his hands on the ground and panted heavily. It was in that moment that they knew it was all or nothing, him or then, this was their last and final assault. Either Bane would fall or they would die trying.

Batgirl exchanged a look with Robin and Starfire. "I think I have an idea."

"You think? This had better be good!" Robin hissed. "This is our last shot!"

"Once, when the Joker stole Bane's technology, he used it to reek havoc on Gotham City. I discovered that the only way to take down Bane is to—" Her words were suddenly interrupted as Bane began climbing to his feet.

Beast Boy transformed into an enormous green bear and moved toward Bane. Huge paws hacked and slashed as his enemy tried to ward him off. The Batbot moved to strike him, and the blow connected with Bane's jaw. Nails ripped into flesh as Beast Boy's teeth bit into the thug's shoulder. Bane uttered a cry of rage and agony as he wrenched the green shape shifter off his back and threw him aside. He landed near the other Titans and sat up groggily.

"Is there any way to beat this guy?" he asked Batgirl.

Cyborg ran over to the others. "Come on, we need some way to disarm him."

"There is, when I went up against the Joker when he was using Bane's machine to pump Venom into his system, I found the only way to defeat him was to remove the fuel pumps from his body."

"Can you get close enough to him to do that?" Beast Boy asked.

"I can try," Batgirl said, "but it might be too dangerous."

"We need to tell Batman about your plan," Cyborg said.

"You better hurry dude," Beast Boy said. "He's coming back!" Bane turned around and moved to attack them. His footsteps rang like thunder as the charged into the six teens.

Raven rose up into the air, and chanted, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" summoning her powers she grabbed him and threw him into the wall. He struggled to break her hold as Cyborg and Beast Boy surged forward.

"T-Rex Takedown!" Cyborg shouted as Beast Boy morphed into a T-Rex as Cyborg fired his Sonic Cannon. Beast Boy roared as Cyborg launched more missiles. Flipping off the changeling's back, he grabbed his friend by his tail and flinging him around, his mouth opened wide and snapped at Bane.

His jaws missed him by inches as they moved aside. Starfire attacked flinging herself at Bane she smashed her fist into his face. She rained down a hailstorm of Starbolts as Robin and Batgirl leaped into the fray, Batgirl swung him around and flung him at Bane.

Robin unsheathed his Bo Staff and smashed it into Bane's face. Cyborg fired his Sonic Cannon and Beast Boy transformed into a tiger and slashed at Bane.

Batman saw what they were doing and realized what their plan was. They were trying to disarm Bane. He remembered what Bruce had done the first time he fought Bane. He realized that he could defeat him if he could remove the fuel pump from his back.

He charged the Batbot forward and grabbed the back of Bane's fuel pump and yanked it out as hard as he could. The villain screamed and fell to his knees in surprise and shock.

Cyborg launched a cable onto Bane's head and pushed a button, sending and electric pulse through the wire and into Bane's body. Shrieking in pain, he writhed on the ground and slipped into an unconscious heap.

Batman opened the cockpit and leaped out. He dialed Captain Yin's number and spoke into the communicator.

"Captain Yin, we got him."

* * *

The next day Dick Grayson woke up in his bedroom in Wayne Manor. He opened his eyes and blinked away sleep as he yawned and stretched his arms above his head, pulling the kinks out of his shoulders. He rolled over on his side and turned on the light.

"Good morning Sir," Alfred said. Looking up, Dick saw his faithful butler standing in the doorway.

"You know what today is don't you Sir," Alfred stated, not asked.

"It's my last day in Gotham before I return to Jump City," Dick replied. "I guess I better start packing."

"Lucius wants to see you at Wayne Industries/Enterprises. He says he wants to give you something before you leave," Alfred said in a formal voice. A small smile slipped across his face. "That's not the only thing you have to do before you leave, Master Dick."

"If you're talking about Bruce, Alfred, I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk." Dick looked over at the elderly gentleman as he walked in and pulled the curtain back, revealing the morning light and a distant, foggy Gotham City.

"You can't avoid him forever, you _must_ talk to Master Bruce before you leave," Alfred Pennyworth's voice was unusually stern. Dick Grayson looked up at him. The young man smiled at his surrogate grandfather.

"You're one of the few people who could talk straight with me and not receive a serious tongue-lashing."

Alfred chuckled, "Indeed, but I do hope what I have said reaches you, Master Dick. After all, you are very much like Master Bruce: You are a very stubborn young man." They both laughed, reminiscing over the old times when Dick lived in Gotham City.

"You'd better get to the kitchen to eat breakfast Sir, Lucius Fox is waiting for you at Wayne Industries/Enterprises."

He left the room as Dick dressed himself and made his way out to the kitchen.

"Good morning Dick," a voice stopped him and he turned to look at the source. Bruce Wayne was sitting in his wheelchair looking at him cautiously.

"I better go eat now," Dick said, moving away hastily. "I'm sure you have a lot to do today."

"I can tell when you're trying to avoid me, Dick," Bruce looked at him. "You might as well say it."

"Say what, Bruce?" Dick said; his patience was beginning to ebb slightly at his mentor's words. Why didn't he just come out and say what he wanted to say?

"That you don't want to talk to me because of our last argument about Jean Paul Valley."

"What? That he's my replacement as Batman? I'll admit, that made me very angry."

"That's an understatement, you stormed out of this room the same way when you first left the Manor." Bruce gave a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "I was going to tell you later, but when we started to argue, things escalated…I didn't intend for it to come out the way it did, I wanted for you to be able to go back to your own city and not worry about mine."

"When you first told me that I was being replaced, I guess I felt…betrayed, after all, you asked me to come back and become Batman. I felt it was something I should do. I probably would have done it even if you hadn't asked me to. I guess I just wanted to make you proud of me and I felt…rejected when you ordered me to return to Jump City."

"I never rejected you, Dick."

"Then why did you order me to stop being Robin after my encounter with the Joker?"

"I didn't want you to get hurt."

"It was too late for that, he shot me, remember? And I chose to become Robin, I could have refused your offer, but I didn't. This was my choice, and it's the life I wanted."

"I know, and perhaps I regret showing you the Batcave, my alter ego, maybe I should have let you have a normal life."

"Like being the son of a billionaire is having a "normal life." With or without Robin, my life would never be what anyone would call normal."

"I just wanted to say that…I'm sorry for everything that came between us. I've always tried to have your best interests in mind, I guess it wasn't enough."

"Well, I accept your apology," Dick said, smiling slightly.

"You've made me very proud…Striking out on your own, forming and leading your own team, for someone who has been taught to work alone, you've adjusted very well to working with others. I couldn't have done better myself."

"Thanks you, getting a compliment from you is like getting blood from a turnip."

"You haven't lost your sense of humor, I'll give you that."

"My friends say I need to lighten up and that I'm too serious. They also say I'm too obsessive over cases."

"Oh really?" Bruce laughed. "Well just because you've gained some of my traits doesn't mean you have to brood like me. You need to relax, leave the brooding, obsessive behavior to me."

"Alright then, I need to go get breakfast now," Dick said, turning towards the door. Bruce placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll join you," Bruce said, grinning. He moved his wheelchair towards the door.

"Let me get that," Dick opened the door for him.

"What are you, my butler?"

"Very funny."

The two walked into the kitchen, surprising Victor, Kory, Gar, Raven and Alfred. "Oh, good morning, Master Bruce, Master Dick. I'll get breakfast for you right away."

"Did everyone sleep well?" Dick asked.

"We rested very well last night," Kory replied. "And you?"

"Yes, I slept fine."

"Your theatrics made quite an impression, Master Dick," Alfred said, handing him the newspaper. Dick took it from him and read the headline: TEEN TITANS AND BATMAN BRING DOWN BANE.

"I guess we did, huh?"

"Why do you act so surprised? We do this all the time," Vic laughed.

"I know I shouldn't act like this, but I am impressed this time. Batman hasn't been on the front page for three weeks."

"Oh come on, dude, surely Batman must be on the headlines all the time," Gar said.

"No, no, Dick Grayson's return to Gotham made headlines two months ago, remember?" The others burst out laughing. Alfred served them pancakes and hash browns. Dick chewed his food thoughtfully.

"So what are you going to do today?" Raven asked.

"Well, I have to pay a visit to Wayne Industries/Enterprises. Lucius Fox wanted to see me. Then I'm going to start packing."

"Packing, are we going home?" Vic asked.

"We'll leave in two days, that should be plenty of time for us to load everything into the T Car." Dick pushed his plate aside as Alfred gathered them up. Walking over to the coat rack, he grabbed a suit coat and put it on.

"I'll be back later guys, don't get too bored while I'm gone!" He laughed.

"Take the Rolls if you'd like, just bring it back with a full tank!" Alfred shouted to him as he headed out the door. Dick could hear his friends howling with laughter as he drove away. His mission was over. It was time for him to go home.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**

Wayne Tower buzzed with activity as Dick Grayson made his way through the reception area, the receptionist Jessica nodded at him and he smiled as he passed her and walked towards the elevators. Pushing the button, he headed down to the lowest level of Wayne Tower where Lucius Fox worked in the Applied Sciences Division of Wayne Industries/Enterprises.

Stepping out onto the cement floor, Dick walked over to where Lucius Fox was waiting for him. "Good morning Mr. Grayson, I see Alfred told you I wanted to see you before you headed back to Jump City."

"Yes he told me Lucius. I was surprised you wanted to see me, I thought I was finished with Wayne Enterprises."

"No, no," Lucius laughed. "I didn't call you here for a business meeting. I called you here because I wanted to give you a...a goodbye present, as it were."

"What would that be?" Dick asked.

"A special Nomex Survival Suit for advanced infantry," Lucius replied as he pulled out a familiar looking armored suit. This is similar to the one I first gave Bruce Wayne all those years ago when he first came to me with his "spelunking" hobby. Anyway, the suit I'm going to give you has quite a few improvements over the original, except I've tweaked it up a bit, made the Kevlar bi-weave a bit stronger and improved the armor's dexterity."

"And this suit isn't in production?" Dick asked.

"The Feds didn't think a soldier's life is worth $350,000. I thought I'd give it to you before you left, seeing I know you can put it to good use."

"Lucius, I'm…I'm flattered. Thank you." Dick took the item from him appreciatively. "You didn't have to do this, you know."

"Of course I didn't, but I care about this city, so do you, and I want to help in any way I can."

"Well, thank you Lucius, I'm very grateful."

"You're very welcome, Mr. Grayson, I best be getting back to work, I'm sure you have a lot to do today before you go back to Jump City."

"Who told you I was going back?"

"Alfred did, Bruce isn't one to talk much. I just wanted to give you that before you left."

"I'll see you around sometime, huh Lucius?" Dick asked with a smile.

"Of course, and if you ever need anything, just call or drop in. Either way, it makes no difference to me," Lucius Fox extended his hand and Dick Grayson shook it firmly. "I better get back to work, I've got a ton of things to do and I haven't even gotten started on them."

Dick Grayson quickly grabbed the case with the Nomex Survival Suit and stepped inside the elevator. Pushing the button, he headed up toward the bottom floor and walked out to the Rolls. He climbed into the car and drove down to the District Attorney's Office where he knew a certain D.A. Rachel Dawes would want to say goodbye before he left.

Walking into the building, he asked the receptionist if Rachel Dawes was busy, the lady said she wasn't and that he needed to make an appointment if he wanted to see her. Dick tried to explain that he wasn't there because of a case, he was there to say goodbye before he left Gotham. She said that Rachel Dawes did not want to be disturbed.

"Can't I just see her for five minutes?" Dick asked in an exasperated voice. "It's not worth me scheduling an appointment for, I've leaving Gotham tomorrow!"

"I'm sorry sir, but Ms. Dawes will only see you on official business or if you make an appointment," the receptionist said stubbornly. Just then, Rachel Dawes walked into the room.

"Dick, what a surprise to see you here! You aren't prosecuting anyone are you?" she asked jokingly.

He gave her a small smile. "Actually, I came to say goodbye, I'm leaving for Jump City tomorrow."

"Oh that was thoughtful of you, how long have you been here?" she asked.

"Five minutes, arguing with the receptionist."

"Jenna! Did you tell him he had to make an appointment?"

"Ms. Dawes, I don't make the rules, I just enforce them," Jenna sighed from behind her desk.

"Don't you recognize him? That's Dick Grayson, you filed his case with this office eight years ago, remember after he became a ward of the state."

"Oh, I didn't recognize him," Jenna said, tilting her glasses. "Sorry 'bout the hassle, Mr. Grayson."

"That's alright, you're doing your job; I understand that."

"So you're going back now huh?" Rachel asked as she ushered him into her office. They took seats beside her desk and she looked at him.

"Bruce said I have to."

"I see. So he found someone else to be the Batman?"

"Yes, he did, and I have to go back and take care of my city before Titans East burns themselves out."

"You sound like you're going to miss this place. Funny I should say that because there are a lot of people who would love to get out of here."

"I'll miss some things in Gotham, not everything, but there are people and places that I hate to leave behind," Dick smiled quietly as he rose from his seat. He moved towards the door.

"I know, but we'll miss you too. Don't ever forget that, Dick."

"I won't, I'll see you around Ms. Dawes," he turned to leave.

"Goodbye Dick," she said, Dick nodded and walked down the hall and out of the building. He then drove the Rolls back to Wayne Manor and parked the car. Getting out, he headed into the mansion. Dick found Bruce waiting for him at the door.

"Bruce? What are you doing here? Where's Alfred?"

"Down in the Batcave, your friends are waiting for you."

"Are you coming?"

"Yes, I am, Batgirl, Robin and Jean Paul Valley are here to say goodbye."

The two men began to make their way towards the piano; Bruce hit the necessary keys and opened the hidden entrance concealed beneath the clock. They made their way to the old rickety elevator and went down to the elevator and into the Batman's headquarters. Dick saw the Titans were waiting for him, along with Batgirl, Robin and Jean Paul Valley.

"Hi guys, is the T Car all loaded up?"

"Not yet, we're not leaving until tomorrow, but we have all our stuff together," Victor said.

Barbara Gordon stepped forward, "It was nice to see you again, Dick. If you ever need anything just call."

"I will. I will. Hey Tim, keep yourself out of trouble, okay?"

"You got it, Dick, since when did I ever get myself in trouble?" Tim Drake asked.

"Oh, too many times," Dick laughed. "Too many times."

"Well I guess you'll be leaving tomorrow, so Alfred here tells me," Jean Paul said. He extended his hand to shake it. "I'm going to try very hard to uphold the standard you've set as the Batman."

"Thanks, Jean, but I think I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have chewed you out when we first met."

"I understand; I know about your falling out with Bruce, I guess my entrance didn't help it much."

"Jean, I truly am sorry."

"Don't worry, I forgive you."

"Thanks, it's nice to know Gotham is going to be in good hands."

"I'll do my best," Jean smiled.

"Master, Dick, might I suggest you prepare to leave for tomorrow as well? Your friends seem to have got that done already."

"Sure Alfred, where do your suggest I start?"

"Well young man, come upstairs and I'll show you."

* * *

The next day the Titans finished loading up the T Car and making sure they had all their things with them. Victor had finished counting the luggage for the fifth time and finally concluded that everything was ready to go. "That's the last bag!" He looked at Dick. "Come on Dick, we've got to go, we have a long drive ahead of us."

"I know, I know. I just have to say goodbye to Ace before we leave."

"A dog? You have to say goodbye to your dog?" Victor asked.

"Well yeah, dude, that's his pet. He doesn't get to see him a lot. Heck, I didn't even know he _had_ a pet until now," Gar said.

Dick headed back to the manor. He saw his faithful greyhound sitting on his haunches staring at him sadly.

"I guess you know I'm leaving, don't you boy?" he asked the dog.

"Ruff, ruff," the dog barked as he wagged his tail slightly and licked his master's hands.

'Yeah, I'm gonna miss you too." He looked up to see Alfred standing in the door holing a large bag of dog food. Dick gave his maternal grandfather a quizzical look.

"What's all that for Alfred?"

"Well how can one expect to feed a dog if there is no dog food to feed it with?" Alfred asked.

"Alfred, you're the one who feeds Ace," Dick said.

"I have officially relinquished my dog feeding duties from now on, Master Dick."

"Why would you not feed Ace?"

"Because Master Dick, you're feeding him," the elderly butler said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"But Alfred, I can't just take Ace—"

"Now Dick, you have no choice in the mater," Bruce Wayne's voice interrupted sternly. They looked up at him and saw his facial expression melt away into a smile. "Besides, when you left you insisted you take Ace with you. I think it's time you take care of what's yours."

"You mean you're letting me keep him?" Dick asked, his blue eyes glowed with joy at the thought that he might be able to keep his dog.

"Yes, I'm recovering and Alfred will be too busy helping me to take care of him, besides, I think he's liked you the most out of all the people who've lived here."

"Bruce I don't know what to say," Dick said gratefully. "I'll take good care of him, I promise."

"I know you will," Bruce said smiling, "You've made me very proud."

"Thank you," Dick replied. "Come on Ace! Get in the car." The dog barked joyously and ran full tilt until he jumped into the back seat. Dick walked over to the trunk and placed the dog food inside. After he finished closing it, he took his place in the front seat. He saw Tim and Barbara standing out in the driveway talking to the others.

"It was very nice to meet all of you," Kory said, smiling. "I do hope that we will see each other again very soon."

"No doubt we will, Kory," Barbara said.

"We'll be seeing ya'll around," Victor said, "And if you're ever in our town, feel free to stop in."

"Thanks, we'll remember that," Tim said, shaking his hand.

"Dude, you people are awesome, I hope you guys do come visit," Gar laughed as he gave Tim a high five.

"Goodbye Dick! We'll see you around!" Tim shouted.

"Catch you later, Dick!" Barbara shouted. "Be careful!"

"I will, and I'll see again sometime!" He gave them a smile.

Victor started up the car and began driving toward Jump City.

"Dick, did you accomplish what you set out to do when you first arrived in the Gotham City?" Kory asked.

"Yes, I think I did. But for me, it wasn't about revenge, or proving myself to Bruce it was…a way for me to see myself as someone who is trying to make the city a better place, to help others by doing what I can serve others and bring justice to a city that has become corrupt."

"Gee, well I'm glad our city's not corrupt," Gar commented.

""Jump City's not like Gotham City, but that doesn't mean that it can't happen. Gotham wasn't always like this. It was a lot better once, a long time ago."

"How did it become this way," Kory asked.

"I don't really know," Dick replied.

"Let's hope that our city will stay the way it is and not become corrupt. Staying here made me realize how nice we have it there. Sure we have our bad guys, but it's not nearly as bad as Arkham Asylum."

'Things change, Victor, our city changed a lot when we defeated the Brotherhood of Evil, and it may have changed again when we get back."

"Well at least one thing hasn't changed, we're still together," Beast Boy said.

"I know, and I think it's time we go home. I wore Batman's mantle for a long time. Now it's time for me to take up my own.'

"What do you mean by that Dick?" Kory asked.

"I don't know, but I guess we'll have to wait and see," Dick smiled and turned to look out the window. The return journey was a great relief, but he knew that he had taken his first step into a much larger world. He was searching for something, but the answer was as elusive as the wind. He knew that he couldn't be Robin anymore, that much he was sure of, but what identity could he have outside of his mentor's shadow? He had a feeling he would have to go looking for answers soon. He wasn't sure what changes awaited him, but he would stay his course until he found what he was searching for.

Dick put these thoughts out of his mind and concentrated on the present. He knew he would miss Gotham and his friends there, but he had the Titans with him, and as long as his friends were there, he would be fine. He turned his thoughts to his city and the Tower, and what they would do when they got back. He then turned and looked out the window, watching the scenery go by.

After many hours he finally caught a glimpse of the tall skyscrapers outlining Jump City.

"We are home at last!" Kory shouted as they entered the city limits.

"Indeed we are," Dick replied, "and I'm glad to be back."

THE END


End file.
